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D&D 5e Into The (Keep on the) Borderlands (B1&2) #032 Monster Mash.
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<blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 8511273" data-attributes="member: 16069"><p style="text-align: center"><strong>The Unexpected in the Caves of Chaos.</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Session #023: Whatever The Little Bastards Are I Hate Them.</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>PCs (in alphabetical order)</strong></p><p><strong>Krago of the Mountains </strong>(Pete) Male Mountain Dwarf Ranger (Folk Hero) Level 3.</p><p><strong>Lappoy the Unexpected </strong>(Rob) Male High Elf Wizard (Sage) Level 3.</p><p><strong>Mohag the Wanderer</strong> (Pete) Male Human Barbarian (Outlander) Level 3.</p><p><strong>Sho-Rembo</strong> (Dave) Female Stout Halfling Druid (Hermit) Level 3.</p><p><strong>Sir Glen</strong> (Dave) Male Human Paladin of Lathander (Noble) Level 3.</p><p><strong>Sosspan </strong>(Dave) Male Dragonborn Wizard (Spy) Level 3.</p><p><strong>Trebbelos</strong> (Pete) Male Tiefling Sorcerer (Charlatan) Level 3.</p><p></p><p><strong>Sidekicks (played mostly by the DM).</strong></p><p><strong>Corbis </strong>Male Human Sidekick Warrior (Soldier) Level 2.</p><p><strong>Scrubs</strong> Male Human Sidekick Expert (Soldier) Level 2.</p><p><strong>Tribbits</strong> Male Human Sidekick Warrior (Soldier) Level 2.</p><p></p><p><strong>Dead PCs (in alphabetical order)</strong></p><p><strong>Afton Barr</strong> (Dave) Male Half-Elf Bard (Entertainer) Level 1.</p><p><strong>Estra Zo </strong>(Pete) Female Wood Gnome Rogue (Urchin) Level 1.</p><p><strong>Farned of the Leaf Lord </strong>(Dave) Male Wild Elf Cleric of Rillifane Rallithil (Acolyte) Level 1.</p><p><strong>Tassit </strong>(Dave) Female Human Monk (Hermit) Level 1.</p><p><strong>The Mystical One</strong> (Pete) Female Human Warlock (Outlander) Level 1.</p><p><strong>Yor</strong> (Pete) Male Dragonborn Fighter (Folk Hero) Level 2.</p><p></p><p><strong>Dead NPCs (in alphabetical order)</strong></p><p><strong>Wormwood</strong> Male Human Guard.</p><p></p><p><strong>QUESTS (and stuff to do).*</strong> </p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Find Zelligar and Rogahn's former base, explore it and steal its treasures.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Get all 20 rumours, just missing #18, keep chatting and drinking at the Keep.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Find Tolpuddle, the 'mad druid' of the Whispering Woods, he may know where Z&R's base is (see #1 above), also say 'hi' from his brother Bumble.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Tell Darvon, Priest of Oghma, about the Unexpected's adventures. ONGOING.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Track down and kill/capture the former bandit leader- Dee Dee Raven (see Mebros, Captain of the Watch).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Help the water sprites of the Goblinwater River, for Bumble.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Clear a bunch of spiders out of the Spiderwood, for Bumble.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Stop the undead attacks in the Whispering Woods, for Bumble.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Clear the Caves of Chaos for the Castellan of the Keep on the Borderlands, reward 2,500gp plus.<br /> </li> </ol><p>*I've been asked to put this here because the players keep forgetting some of this stuff, also they have lots of quests on the go right now.</p><p></p><p>Note, we now read this list at the start of each new session, that's what it's like to get old- your memory just stops working.</p><p></p><p><strong>Note, you can click on the pictures here to make them bigger (if you didn't know this already).</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Day 37: Being the 7th Day of Kythorn, in the year 1493 by Dale Reckoning, known as the Year of the Purple Dragons, just after 10 in the morning.</strong></p><p></p><p>Oh, but before we start the title of this one- well, it got fractious a little later on- all of the players at one time another expressed the opinion offered above.</p><p></p><p>They really didn't like the little bastards in this one.</p><p></p><p>I mean, really- really.</p><p></p><p>Seriously pissed, one of them even got a little bit angry.</p><p></p><p>However, to begin with...</p><p></p><p>We're in the kobold's lair, again- it seems the Unexpected will not let a thing lie, they've cleared this lair out once already, and then... guess what, a bunch more kobolds moved in. Well, now they're gone too.</p><p></p><p>And by gone I, of course, mean dead.</p><p></p><p>There's not a lot of treasure to be had here, a nice piece of jewellery on the kobold boss (Torgo the Face-Gouger) but nothing much else. So, rested up, and after a brief chat to reaffirm values, sing the company song etc.</p><p></p><p>The Unexpected are back to adventuring, there's a hole in the ground that needs investigating.</p><p></p><p>And so... after checking the way is clear in the ravine, it is, the adventurers head over, moving from cover to cover, to- the hole...</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149834[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Krago (Darkvision) draws the short straw, he's going in.</strong></p><p></p><p>And it's not a hole, or else not just a hole- there are a myriad very helpfully placed hand holds, and dangling tree roots- something lives down here, or at least regularly descends the space.</p><p></p><p>There's a large chamber at the bottom, it opens out, and more suspiciously there's a bunch of bones down there, and... the winner, part way down a rough curtain hides another hole- in the side of the shaft, a narrow muddy cavern passage heading deep into the dark.</p><p></p><p>Although, the muddy passage is only about three and a half-feet wide, if the PCs are going down here then some of them are going to have to crawl on their hands and knees.</p><p></p><p>So, down or across?</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149835[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>I know what you are thinking, put it out of your mind- the original art that goes with this section of the adventure is just way beyond your price range. Let it go- let it pass.</strong></p><p></p><p>So, while the decision is not being made (repeatedly and at length) a second rope is belayed down and Sho-Rembo is sent below to join her friend, the druid has a light spell cast upon her- we've gone past stealth here already.</p><p></p><p>But the pair are still trying to be quiet.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149836[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>It's like being there...</strong></p><p></p><p>Neither of the pair can see anything much- the halfing druid notes that the narrow passage is quiet, and goes on out of sight. The dwarf ranger can't see anything but a pile of bones down below, although it's a much larger chamber.</p><p></p><p>Nothing is moving- it's empty.</p><p></p><p>Which leads to more prevaricating, it takes a while.</p><p></p><p>Eventually, a third rope is sent down and Sir Glen descends, and then with Krago drops into the bottom chamber, the one with the bone pile.</p><p></p><p>The place stinks of filth and decay, Sir Glen gingerly wades down from the teetering pile, smashing long decayed bones at every step.</p><p></p><p>It's not a very stealthy approach, which may account for the moment when a six-legged ugly hairless rodent darts out (from the Morning Lord knows where) and tries to sink it's big buckteeth in to the paladin.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149837[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Osquip versus paladin, 1-0 to the osquip atm.</strong></p><p></p><p>The six-legged rat creature (an osquip, identified a little later) savages Sir Glen's big toe, like for ten points of piercing damage, it damn near bites it off, even through his platemail booties.</p><p></p><p>The paladin makes naughty swear sounds.</p><p></p><p>Up until this point none of us has ever heard Sir Glen swear, or even appear mildly ticked off.</p><p></p><p>Sho-Rembo, keeping an eye on the muddy passage, and events below, calls out to her comrades above- although they can also hear Sir Glen with his mighty swears.</p><p></p><p>Then, back down below a second osquip darts out and savages Krago, for twelve points of damage, and suddenly there is consternation in the ranks.</p><p></p><p>Krago wafts his black mace at the osquip, failing to connect with both attacks (the second thanks to an inspiration point).</p><p></p><p>At which point a third osquip reveals itself, Krago however keeps the beast at bay, but now both Sir Glen and Krago are kicking up a swear-storm.</p><p></p><p>Mohag, flings himself over the edge and into the hole, and then realises that he is exhausted (after his last frenzied rage) and so duly fails his athletics check, he burns his inspiration point to re-roll that, and so rather than plummeting thirty or more feet (onto his friends) he instead manages to descend a good way down the shaft, but not all the way to his colleagues.</p><p></p><p>Lappoy descends one of the other ropes and swings into the narrow muddy passage. Trebbelos follows the same route, although the tiefling sorcerer has to spend his inspiration point to accomplish the task (or else fall down the shaft). Sosspan follows the same route, again, but like Lappoy- with ease.</p><p></p><p>Note back up top Corbis, Tribbits and Scrubs are holding and manipulating the various ropes that descend into the hole.</p><p></p><p>Sir Glen slices the osquip before him, the odd hairless ugly creature just looks annoyed.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149838[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>I wouldn't put money on this one... but no doubt help will arrive soon.</strong></p><p></p><p>Sho-Rembo, relieved of her duties, clambers down onto the bone pile to help her friends, alas the druid's initial Produce Flame is off target.</p><p></p><p>Krago gets bitten again, he's bloodied and beyond, he stabs the nasty little creature right back (but continues to flail wildly and miss with his magical black mace), he's gasping.</p><p></p><p>Moments later the second osquip he's facing off against sees its opportunity and rips into the dwarf, suddenly the dwarven ranger is down and dying.</p><p></p><p>Sir Glen is really swearing now, Sho-Rembo joins in.</p><p></p><p>The pair are having a swear off.</p><p></p><p>But then Mohag drops the last ten feet and is straight into action, and raging (and reckless)- of course, the barbarian Crits, but somehow still fails to kill, the osquip that Krago had been stabbing.</p><p></p><p>Note, the osquip's hit points are high, everything's hit points are high in here (relatively speaking), the DM grins to himself.</p><p></p><p>Lappoy, while his colleagues have been having to spend inspiration points willy-nilly just to descend the shaft, shows how it is down. The High Magicker belays down into the opening into the bone pile cavern below, and while still clutching to the rope, fires a quartet of Magic Missiles into the osquips.</p><p></p><p>The badly wounded six-legged rodent is killed, and the one that Sir Glen barely nicked is left bloodied and swathed in scuffs and bruises.</p><p></p><p>The high elf wizard, job done, scurries back up the rope and back into the muddy narrow passage.</p><p></p><p>Easy, as it turns out all you need to do is roll high.</p><p></p><p>Back down in the bone pile cavern Sir Glen cuts the osquip before him again (although he needed to spend his inspiration point to do so). The rodent survives, but only just.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149839[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>I am colour blind, but still... it's not really an excuse.</strong></p><p></p><p>Note, the muddy corridor, depicted on the right (just in case you weren't sure) is around twenty feet up from floor of the bone pile chamber.</p><p></p><p>Sho-Rembo gets to Krago with a Cure Wounds, and then with her inspiration points fails to beat an osquip with her Shillelagh. Krago nods his thanks, staggers to his feet and then heals himself with another Cure Wounds.</p><p></p><p>Then, back in the muddy passage, several things suddenly happen at once.</p><p></p><p>A small humanoid only three or so feet high, very primitive looking apart from its big lolling head, scampers down the tunnel- towards the PCs, and then stops and slaps at the wall.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly the floor beneath Trebbelos' feet gives way and the tiefling falls into an eight foot deep spike-lined pit.</p><p></p><p>And I roll 1d6 plus 1d8 and manage 4 damage.</p><p></p><p>Trebbelos, regardless, isn't happy.</p><p></p><p>Lappoy identifies the creature ahead, its a xvart- a degenerate evil and cruel humanoid, a worshipper of devils and the like. That's not good.</p><p></p><p>At this point we break for about ten minutes for the players to take it in turns to shout- “XVARTS!” at me, like it's a threat.</p><p></p><p>It seems no-one here has heard of them, and they're not impressed so far- and they've only seen one of 'em.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149840[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>I think the players are now officially not having fun with this one.</strong></p><p></p><p>Shame, I'm just starting to enjoy it.</p><p></p><p>The xvart scampers about- pointing and making noises in the PC's general direction. It looks to be having great fun.</p><p></p><p>A second xvart rushes up to join its friends, only this one lets loose with its sling shot, a miss, but the wizards in the tunnel are very short of cover and are therefore now fretting and shouting for the tough guys to get up/down here.</p><p></p><p>Sosspan wants to know if he can get in the spiked pit with Trebbelos, he can but the action will have consequences.</p><p></p><p>Lappoy fires three Magic Missiles into the nearest xvart, it falls dead, everybody is relieved for a second. Although enemy numbers are maintained, as yet another xvart scurries along the passage to greet its friends, and then delights in scooting rocks at Sosspan.</p><p></p><p>Trebbelos, while this is going on, fails to climb out of the pit he's in, perhaps on purpose, perhaps not.</p><p></p><p>Note, there are now three xvarts taking it in turns to whip sling stones down the passage.</p><p></p><p>Back to the bone pile cavern...</p><p></p><p>Sho-Rembo thumps the osquip she is facing with her Shillelagh, it doesn't seem to mind.</p><p></p><p>Back to the muddy passage...</p><p></p><p>Sosspan, a little bit panicked, fires three Scorching Rays at the xvarts ahead, he manages to hit with two of them and delivers a grand total of five fire damage- yep, that was '1' & '1' damage, followed by '1' & '2'.</p><p></p><p>That's the kind of thing that can frustrate a player.</p><p></p><p>Tee-hee.</p><p></p><p>Back to the bone pile cavern...</p><p></p><p>Krago splats dead the badly wounded osquip with his black mace, and then stabs the last of the bastard rodents with his dagger. Now why couldn't he have done that earlier.</p><p></p><p>Back to the muddy passage...</p><p></p><p>Sosspan gets hit with a xvart sling bullet (and for more damage than the two Scorching Ray's combined).</p><p></p><p>And then again, with a second sling bullet, and once again for more damage than...</p><p></p><p>Back to the bone pile cavern...</p><p></p><p>The last badly wounded osquip scurries into the bone pile, and before any of the PCs can get to it, is out of sight.</p><p></p><p>It's at this point that the four PCs down here catch up with the fact that Lappoy and Sosspan are all shouting/swearing for help.</p><p></p><p>Mohag, in a matter of seconds is up the ropes and to the narrow muddy passage, and then slithering on his belly down the tunnel past his comrades and heading towards the xvarts, he doesn't look happy.</p><p></p><p>That's when he finds the second spike-filled pit.</p><p></p><p>Alas, the barbarian steadies himself and doesn't fall in, but he can't get to the little bastards up the muddy passage.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149841[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Mohag is not happy...</strong></p><p></p><p>Point of fact, none of the players are.</p><p></p><p>Mohag does however get beaned on the head by a sling stone, note the three xvarts are all just jollying it up- giggling and laughing, and making strange gurgling noises as they take it in turns to fire their slings at the PCs.</p><p></p><p>Trebbelos, at last, manages to get out of the pit.</p><p></p><p>Sir Glen, meantime, is climbing back out of the bone pit and to the muddy passage, as are Sho-Rembo and Krago (the latter after glugging down a healing potion).</p><p></p><p>The rest of the wizards/artillery in the narrow tunnel hold station, they can't fire down the passage with Mohag in the way. The barbarian therefore scurries forward down the tunnel some more, and finds the third pit there- but Mohag was expecting this and so again avoids the fall. He scrambles over the pit and into the nearest xvart- magical handaxe first.</p><p></p><p>The little bastard is left screaming, all three of the enemies are now in a panic.</p><p></p><p>With Mohag clearing the way ahead the wizards/artillery attempt to move up the passage, this goes really badly- Lappoy has to spend and inspiration point to avoid falling in the first pit, and he doesn't get any further down the corridor.</p><p></p><p>Trebbelos falls back into the first pit, and now my damage rolls are high, and the tiefling warlock is impaled and unconscious down there.</p><p></p><p>And again, this is the kind of thing (it transpires) that can piss off a player.</p><p></p><p>It gets worse, ten seconds later Sir Glen makes it into the passage and duly falls into the first open pit too, and directly on top of Trebbelos, impaling the tiefling some more- that's one auto Death Save failure.</p><p></p><p>Oh, how we I laughed.</p><p></p><p>Or at least I did.</p><p></p><p>Sho-Rembo makes it up into the narrow passage, and then to the pit in which the unconscious Trebbelos and the heavy Sir Glen are residing, the halfling tags the tiefling with a Cure Wounds, and then advances down the passage without any problems. Krago also makes it to the passage and slithers on in- no problems.</p><p></p><p>Sosspan holds station and fires Magic Missiles at the xvarts as and when he sees them, one dies, the other is left badly wounded, and so flees- that's two of the little bastards that have got away.</p><p></p><p>Then, it gets worse.</p><p></p><p>The badly wounded osquip from the bone pile, the lone survivor of the first encounter, scurries into the bottom of the first spiked pit and takes a chunk out of Trebbelos.</p><p></p><p>There is screaming, by which I mean all three of the players are taking it in turns to scream and shout (mostly at me- what can I do, I just roll the dice), this is not going well.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149842[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>They're not happy.</strong></p><p></p><p>Mohag scurries on, around the corner- he can't get to the xvart bastard ahead and so throws his magical handaxe at the little bugger, straight between the eyes- and its dead.</p><p></p><p>There's just one more xvart down here, but the passage goes on.</p><p></p><p>Trebbelos pumps a Shocking Grasp into the osquip in the pit with him, and then tries but fails to get himself out of the dirty and painful hole.</p><p></p><p>Sir Glen stabs the osquip, but still the hairless six-legged rodent lives.</p><p></p><p>Sosspan very helpfully (= desperate) fires a Fire Bolt into the osquip in the pit (with an inspiration point so as to not be at disadvantage) and the bitey-bastard-thing is (at last) burnt to death.</p><p></p><p>[Osquips from the bone pile chamber 600 XP)</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149843[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>After that xvart!</strong></p><p></p><p>And so Mohag does.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149844[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>But it gets worse.</strong></p><p></p><p>There are two concealed chambers along the passage, the entrances to both covered by crude dirt encrusted curtains, neither of which Mohag noticed (passive perception 11), and so the curtains are drawn aside and the xvarts start stabbing- three attacks, three hits, two of them Crits.</p><p></p><p>This isn't going well, have I mentioned this before?</p><p></p><p>Mohag has had enough, its frenzy time (and reckless rage of course), but just to say the barbarian is at present fighting with his dagger- he can't swing a greataxe, he's thrown his magical handaxe, and so...</p><p></p><p>The barbarian stabs a xvart, and a moment later takes a sling stone to the face.</p><p></p><p>Fair exchange?</p><p></p><p>Lappoy gets closer, and then fills one of the newly revealed chambers with a Thunderwave, bits of the ceiling collapse but all four xvarts within the room survive the ordeal.</p><p></p><p>Mohag gets hit by another sling stone.</p><p></p><p>And then another- this one's a Crit.</p><p></p><p>And then the osquip in one of the newly revealed chamber's bites Mohag, and that's a Crit too.</p><p></p><p>The barbarian is down to one hit point.</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile...</p><p></p><p>Trebbelos, back in the very first pit and on just two hit points manages, at last, manages to extract himself from the trap- and then to swig down a potion of healing. Which is more than can be said for the paladin, Sir Glen narrowly avoids injuring himself again trying and failing/falling to get out of the same pit.</p><p></p><p>The DC to do so is 10, Sir Glen is +4 for athletics, you do the maths.</p><p></p><p>Sho-Rembo meantime gets to Mohag with a second level Cure Wounds, but that's the only thing she can do.</p><p></p><p>Mohag gets stabbed again.</p><p></p><p>And then hit with another sling stone- another Crit.</p><p></p><p>This really isn't going well.</p><p></p><p>But Mohag is still stabbing with his dagger, and two of the xvarts fall, and that's the opening that Krago needs, the dwarf steps in and brains the next xvart in line- three of the little bastards dead in a matter of seconds.</p><p></p><p>But there are still six xvarts and an osquip packed in here.</p><p></p><p>Mohag takes a bunch more hits.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149845[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>Bloody hell!</strong></p><p></p><p>Mohag is back down to six hit points.</p><p></p><p>Lappoy steps up again and fills the other chamber with a Thunderwave (or rather a Thunderwhimper = 5 damage, save for half) all but one of the inhabitants survive.</p><p></p><p>Mohag gets hit by another sling stone, its what he does.</p><p></p><p>And then another... the barbarian drops and sprawls.</p><p></p><p>The osquip, unleashed, rushes out of its chamber and starts snapping and biting at Krago, the dwarf keeps the little beast at bay- but now he too is screaming for help.</p><p></p><p>Trebbelos, at last, catches up with the action.</p><p></p><p>Sir Glen, at last, gets out of the bloody pit he was stuck in.</p><p></p><p>Sho-Rembo rushes in and fills the eastern chamber, for the second time, with a Thunderwave- and now there's just one xvart left in here, and another in the chamber over, and yet another further on down the passage (having fun sling time), and then there's the badly wounded osquip sitting atop the fallen Mohag.</p><p></p><p>Sosspan catches up with proceedings and fires three Magic Missiles into the osquip, it lives.</p><p></p><p>Krago stabs it, and still it lives.</p><p></p><p>Lappoy stops a sling stone, the xvart at the end of the passage dances and cavorts on the spot- this guy hasn't missed yet, he's the king of the sling, and I mean with six or seven attacks.</p><p></p><p>That must get annoying.</p><p></p><p>For the players...</p><p></p><p>A xvart stabs Krago in the back, as Mohag coughs blood and fails a Death Save.</p><p></p><p>Lappoy fires a Fire Bolt into the osquip, and at last- it dies, the High Magicker gets to Mohag with a potion of healing (and an inspiration point) and then attempts to drag the big feller away, and he does, all the way into cover.</p><p></p><p>That's Lappoy's secret- right there, roll high.</p><p></p><p>Krago gets hit by a sling stone.</p><p></p><p>Trebbelos steps up and hits a xvart with a Fire Bolt, he kills it, and now the eastern chamber is clear, the tiefling sorcerer steps out of the muddy passage, into an equally filthy and muddy room, strewn with a bunch of dead little bastards (xvarts).</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]149846[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>This is tough going.</strong></p><p></p><p>Sir Glen catches up with events and goes scooting off down the muddy passage, eventually catching up with the capering xvart slinger, although out of actions, the paladin arrives just too late, Sosspan hits the xvart with a Fire Bolt and it too drops.</p><p></p><p>Krago brains the last xvart standing, and that- for now, is all she wrote.</p><p></p><p>This was the most sweary session of D&D I have DMed for several years, not bad you understand- nobody threw all of their toys out of their cots, but- boy, the players were not happy.</p><p></p><p>Xvarts are off their Christmas card lists, and osquips.</p><p></p><p>[More xvart guards and another osquip 500 XP]</p><p></p><p>Note, the Unexpected are beaten and bloodied, many of them are very (very) low on spells, I am assured however that they are far from broken.</p><p></p><p>They're determined, and that counts for a lot.</p><p></p><p>So, here's a thing- why did the players leave the three sidekicks- Corbis, Scrubs and Tribbits back up top, well... because these three were looking after the ropes, and then the chambers were really cramped, and then... well, they just forgot about them.</p><p></p><p>I just thought I'd let the players know- the two warriors, Corbis and Tribbits, they've both got very good athletics skills (needed to stay out of the pits and to negotiate the narrow and muddy passage), and, of course, the sidekick expert- Scrubs has the Helpful bonus action, to allow him to aid another with a check.</p><p></p><p>Some of these things could have proved useful.</p><p></p><p>Just saying.</p><p></p><p>That's all we had time for in this session.</p><p></p><p>Oh, but Lappoy has enough XP for level 4, while Scrubs has enough to become a level 3 expert. If they get out of this place alive.</p><p></p><p>The pot is up to £102.</p><p></p><p>Stay safe and well you lovely people.</p><p></p><p>Toodles for a bit.</p><p></p><p>Cheers the Unexpected and goonalan.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goonalan, post: 8511273, member: 16069"] [CENTER][B]The Unexpected in the Caves of Chaos.[/B][/CENTER] [B]Session #023: Whatever The Little Bastards Are I Hate Them. PCs (in alphabetical order) Krago of the Mountains [/B](Pete) Male Mountain Dwarf Ranger (Folk Hero) Level 3. [B]Lappoy the Unexpected [/B](Rob) Male High Elf Wizard (Sage) Level 3. [B]Mohag the Wanderer[/B] (Pete) Male Human Barbarian (Outlander) Level 3. [B]Sho-Rembo[/B] (Dave) Female Stout Halfling Druid (Hermit) Level 3. [B]Sir Glen[/B] (Dave) Male Human Paladin of Lathander (Noble) Level 3. [B]Sosspan [/B](Dave) Male Dragonborn Wizard (Spy) Level 3. [B]Trebbelos[/B] (Pete) Male Tiefling Sorcerer (Charlatan) Level 3. [B]Sidekicks (played mostly by the DM). Corbis [/B]Male Human Sidekick Warrior (Soldier) Level 2. [B]Scrubs[/B] Male Human Sidekick Expert (Soldier) Level 2. [B]Tribbits[/B] Male Human Sidekick Warrior (Soldier) Level 2. [B]Dead PCs (in alphabetical order) Afton Barr[/B] (Dave) Male Half-Elf Bard (Entertainer) Level 1. [B]Estra Zo [/B](Pete) Female Wood Gnome Rogue (Urchin) Level 1. [B]Farned of the Leaf Lord [/B](Dave) Male Wild Elf Cleric of Rillifane Rallithil (Acolyte) Level 1. [B]Tassit [/B](Dave) Female Human Monk (Hermit) Level 1. [B]The Mystical One[/B] (Pete) Female Human Warlock (Outlander) Level 1. [B]Yor[/B] (Pete) Male Dragonborn Fighter (Folk Hero) Level 2. [B]Dead NPCs (in alphabetical order) Wormwood[/B] Male Human Guard. [B]QUESTS (and stuff to do).*[/B] [LIST=1] [*]Find Zelligar and Rogahn's former base, explore it and steal its treasures. [*]Get all 20 rumours, just missing #18, keep chatting and drinking at the Keep. [*]Find Tolpuddle, the 'mad druid' of the Whispering Woods, he may know where Z&R's base is (see #1 above), also say 'hi' from his brother Bumble. [*]Tell Darvon, Priest of Oghma, about the Unexpected's adventures. ONGOING. [*]Track down and kill/capture the former bandit leader- Dee Dee Raven (see Mebros, Captain of the Watch). [*]Help the water sprites of the Goblinwater River, for Bumble. [*]Clear a bunch of spiders out of the Spiderwood, for Bumble. [*]Stop the undead attacks in the Whispering Woods, for Bumble. [*]Clear the Caves of Chaos for the Castellan of the Keep on the Borderlands, reward 2,500gp plus. [/LIST] *I've been asked to put this here because the players keep forgetting some of this stuff, also they have lots of quests on the go right now. Note, we now read this list at the start of each new session, that's what it's like to get old- your memory just stops working. [B]Note, you can click on the pictures here to make them bigger (if you didn't know this already). Day 37: Being the 7th Day of Kythorn, in the year 1493 by Dale Reckoning, known as the Year of the Purple Dragons, just after 10 in the morning.[/B] Oh, but before we start the title of this one- well, it got fractious a little later on- all of the players at one time another expressed the opinion offered above. They really didn't like the little bastards in this one. I mean, really- really. Seriously pissed, one of them even got a little bit angry. However, to begin with... We're in the kobold's lair, again- it seems the Unexpected will not let a thing lie, they've cleared this lair out once already, and then... guess what, a bunch more kobolds moved in. Well, now they're gone too. And by gone I, of course, mean dead. There's not a lot of treasure to be had here, a nice piece of jewellery on the kobold boss (Torgo the Face-Gouger) but nothing much else. So, rested up, and after a brief chat to reaffirm values, sing the company song etc. The Unexpected are back to adventuring, there's a hole in the ground that needs investigating. And so... after checking the way is clear in the ravine, it is, the adventurers head over, moving from cover to cover, to- the hole... [ATTACH type="full"]149834[/ATTACH] [B]Krago (Darkvision) draws the short straw, he's going in.[/B] And it's not a hole, or else not just a hole- there are a myriad very helpfully placed hand holds, and dangling tree roots- something lives down here, or at least regularly descends the space. There's a large chamber at the bottom, it opens out, and more suspiciously there's a bunch of bones down there, and... the winner, part way down a rough curtain hides another hole- in the side of the shaft, a narrow muddy cavern passage heading deep into the dark. Although, the muddy passage is only about three and a half-feet wide, if the PCs are going down here then some of them are going to have to crawl on their hands and knees. So, down or across? [ATTACH type="full"]149835[/ATTACH] [B]I know what you are thinking, put it out of your mind- the original art that goes with this section of the adventure is just way beyond your price range. Let it go- let it pass.[/B] So, while the decision is not being made (repeatedly and at length) a second rope is belayed down and Sho-Rembo is sent below to join her friend, the druid has a light spell cast upon her- we've gone past stealth here already. But the pair are still trying to be quiet. [ATTACH type="full"]149836[/ATTACH] [B]It's like being there...[/B] Neither of the pair can see anything much- the halfing druid notes that the narrow passage is quiet, and goes on out of sight. The dwarf ranger can't see anything but a pile of bones down below, although it's a much larger chamber. Nothing is moving- it's empty. Which leads to more prevaricating, it takes a while. Eventually, a third rope is sent down and Sir Glen descends, and then with Krago drops into the bottom chamber, the one with the bone pile. The place stinks of filth and decay, Sir Glen gingerly wades down from the teetering pile, smashing long decayed bones at every step. It's not a very stealthy approach, which may account for the moment when a six-legged ugly hairless rodent darts out (from the Morning Lord knows where) and tries to sink it's big buckteeth in to the paladin. [ATTACH type="full"]149837[/ATTACH] [B]Osquip versus paladin, 1-0 to the osquip atm.[/B] The six-legged rat creature (an osquip, identified a little later) savages Sir Glen's big toe, like for ten points of piercing damage, it damn near bites it off, even through his platemail booties. The paladin makes naughty swear sounds. Up until this point none of us has ever heard Sir Glen swear, or even appear mildly ticked off. Sho-Rembo, keeping an eye on the muddy passage, and events below, calls out to her comrades above- although they can also hear Sir Glen with his mighty swears. Then, back down below a second osquip darts out and savages Krago, for twelve points of damage, and suddenly there is consternation in the ranks. Krago wafts his black mace at the osquip, failing to connect with both attacks (the second thanks to an inspiration point). At which point a third osquip reveals itself, Krago however keeps the beast at bay, but now both Sir Glen and Krago are kicking up a swear-storm. Mohag, flings himself over the edge and into the hole, and then realises that he is exhausted (after his last frenzied rage) and so duly fails his athletics check, he burns his inspiration point to re-roll that, and so rather than plummeting thirty or more feet (onto his friends) he instead manages to descend a good way down the shaft, but not all the way to his colleagues. Lappoy descends one of the other ropes and swings into the narrow muddy passage. Trebbelos follows the same route, although the tiefling sorcerer has to spend his inspiration point to accomplish the task (or else fall down the shaft). Sosspan follows the same route, again, but like Lappoy- with ease. Note back up top Corbis, Tribbits and Scrubs are holding and manipulating the various ropes that descend into the hole. Sir Glen slices the osquip before him, the odd hairless ugly creature just looks annoyed. [ATTACH type="full"]149838[/ATTACH] [B]I wouldn't put money on this one... but no doubt help will arrive soon.[/B] Sho-Rembo, relieved of her duties, clambers down onto the bone pile to help her friends, alas the druid's initial Produce Flame is off target. Krago gets bitten again, he's bloodied and beyond, he stabs the nasty little creature right back (but continues to flail wildly and miss with his magical black mace), he's gasping. Moments later the second osquip he's facing off against sees its opportunity and rips into the dwarf, suddenly the dwarven ranger is down and dying. Sir Glen is really swearing now, Sho-Rembo joins in. The pair are having a swear off. But then Mohag drops the last ten feet and is straight into action, and raging (and reckless)- of course, the barbarian Crits, but somehow still fails to kill, the osquip that Krago had been stabbing. Note, the osquip's hit points are high, everything's hit points are high in here (relatively speaking), the DM grins to himself. Lappoy, while his colleagues have been having to spend inspiration points willy-nilly just to descend the shaft, shows how it is down. The High Magicker belays down into the opening into the bone pile cavern below, and while still clutching to the rope, fires a quartet of Magic Missiles into the osquips. The badly wounded six-legged rodent is killed, and the one that Sir Glen barely nicked is left bloodied and swathed in scuffs and bruises. The high elf wizard, job done, scurries back up the rope and back into the muddy narrow passage. Easy, as it turns out all you need to do is roll high. Back down in the bone pile cavern Sir Glen cuts the osquip before him again (although he needed to spend his inspiration point to do so). The rodent survives, but only just. [ATTACH type="full"]149839[/ATTACH] [B]I am colour blind, but still... it's not really an excuse.[/B] Note, the muddy corridor, depicted on the right (just in case you weren't sure) is around twenty feet up from floor of the bone pile chamber. Sho-Rembo gets to Krago with a Cure Wounds, and then with her inspiration points fails to beat an osquip with her Shillelagh. Krago nods his thanks, staggers to his feet and then heals himself with another Cure Wounds. Then, back in the muddy passage, several things suddenly happen at once. A small humanoid only three or so feet high, very primitive looking apart from its big lolling head, scampers down the tunnel- towards the PCs, and then stops and slaps at the wall. Suddenly the floor beneath Trebbelos' feet gives way and the tiefling falls into an eight foot deep spike-lined pit. And I roll 1d6 plus 1d8 and manage 4 damage. Trebbelos, regardless, isn't happy. Lappoy identifies the creature ahead, its a xvart- a degenerate evil and cruel humanoid, a worshipper of devils and the like. That's not good. At this point we break for about ten minutes for the players to take it in turns to shout- “XVARTS!” at me, like it's a threat. It seems no-one here has heard of them, and they're not impressed so far- and they've only seen one of 'em. [ATTACH type="full"]149840[/ATTACH] [B]I think the players are now officially not having fun with this one.[/B] Shame, I'm just starting to enjoy it. The xvart scampers about- pointing and making noises in the PC's general direction. It looks to be having great fun. A second xvart rushes up to join its friends, only this one lets loose with its sling shot, a miss, but the wizards in the tunnel are very short of cover and are therefore now fretting and shouting for the tough guys to get up/down here. Sosspan wants to know if he can get in the spiked pit with Trebbelos, he can but the action will have consequences. Lappoy fires three Magic Missiles into the nearest xvart, it falls dead, everybody is relieved for a second. Although enemy numbers are maintained, as yet another xvart scurries along the passage to greet its friends, and then delights in scooting rocks at Sosspan. Trebbelos, while this is going on, fails to climb out of the pit he's in, perhaps on purpose, perhaps not. Note, there are now three xvarts taking it in turns to whip sling stones down the passage. Back to the bone pile cavern... Sho-Rembo thumps the osquip she is facing with her Shillelagh, it doesn't seem to mind. Back to the muddy passage... Sosspan, a little bit panicked, fires three Scorching Rays at the xvarts ahead, he manages to hit with two of them and delivers a grand total of five fire damage- yep, that was '1' & '1' damage, followed by '1' & '2'. That's the kind of thing that can frustrate a player. Tee-hee. Back to the bone pile cavern... Krago splats dead the badly wounded osquip with his black mace, and then stabs the last of the bastard rodents with his dagger. Now why couldn't he have done that earlier. Back to the muddy passage... Sosspan gets hit with a xvart sling bullet (and for more damage than the two Scorching Ray's combined). And then again, with a second sling bullet, and once again for more damage than... Back to the bone pile cavern... The last badly wounded osquip scurries into the bone pile, and before any of the PCs can get to it, is out of sight. It's at this point that the four PCs down here catch up with the fact that Lappoy and Sosspan are all shouting/swearing for help. Mohag, in a matter of seconds is up the ropes and to the narrow muddy passage, and then slithering on his belly down the tunnel past his comrades and heading towards the xvarts, he doesn't look happy. That's when he finds the second spike-filled pit. Alas, the barbarian steadies himself and doesn't fall in, but he can't get to the little bastards up the muddy passage. [ATTACH type="full"]149841[/ATTACH] [B]Mohag is not happy...[/B] Point of fact, none of the players are. Mohag does however get beaned on the head by a sling stone, note the three xvarts are all just jollying it up- giggling and laughing, and making strange gurgling noises as they take it in turns to fire their slings at the PCs. Trebbelos, at last, manages to get out of the pit. Sir Glen, meantime, is climbing back out of the bone pit and to the muddy passage, as are Sho-Rembo and Krago (the latter after glugging down a healing potion). The rest of the wizards/artillery in the narrow tunnel hold station, they can't fire down the passage with Mohag in the way. The barbarian therefore scurries forward down the tunnel some more, and finds the third pit there- but Mohag was expecting this and so again avoids the fall. He scrambles over the pit and into the nearest xvart- magical handaxe first. The little bastard is left screaming, all three of the enemies are now in a panic. With Mohag clearing the way ahead the wizards/artillery attempt to move up the passage, this goes really badly- Lappoy has to spend and inspiration point to avoid falling in the first pit, and he doesn't get any further down the corridor. Trebbelos falls back into the first pit, and now my damage rolls are high, and the tiefling warlock is impaled and unconscious down there. And again, this is the kind of thing (it transpires) that can piss off a player. It gets worse, ten seconds later Sir Glen makes it into the passage and duly falls into the first open pit too, and directly on top of Trebbelos, impaling the tiefling some more- that's one auto Death Save failure. Oh, how we I laughed. Or at least I did. Sho-Rembo makes it up into the narrow passage, and then to the pit in which the unconscious Trebbelos and the heavy Sir Glen are residing, the halfling tags the tiefling with a Cure Wounds, and then advances down the passage without any problems. Krago also makes it to the passage and slithers on in- no problems. Sosspan holds station and fires Magic Missiles at the xvarts as and when he sees them, one dies, the other is left badly wounded, and so flees- that's two of the little bastards that have got away. Then, it gets worse. The badly wounded osquip from the bone pile, the lone survivor of the first encounter, scurries into the bottom of the first spiked pit and takes a chunk out of Trebbelos. There is screaming, by which I mean all three of the players are taking it in turns to scream and shout (mostly at me- what can I do, I just roll the dice), this is not going well. [ATTACH type="full"]149842[/ATTACH] [B]They're not happy.[/B] Mohag scurries on, around the corner- he can't get to the xvart bastard ahead and so throws his magical handaxe at the little bugger, straight between the eyes- and its dead. There's just one more xvart down here, but the passage goes on. Trebbelos pumps a Shocking Grasp into the osquip in the pit with him, and then tries but fails to get himself out of the dirty and painful hole. Sir Glen stabs the osquip, but still the hairless six-legged rodent lives. Sosspan very helpfully (= desperate) fires a Fire Bolt into the osquip in the pit (with an inspiration point so as to not be at disadvantage) and the bitey-bastard-thing is (at last) burnt to death. [Osquips from the bone pile chamber 600 XP) [ATTACH type="full"]149843[/ATTACH] [B]After that xvart![/B] And so Mohag does. [ATTACH type="full"]149844[/ATTACH] [B]But it gets worse.[/B] There are two concealed chambers along the passage, the entrances to both covered by crude dirt encrusted curtains, neither of which Mohag noticed (passive perception 11), and so the curtains are drawn aside and the xvarts start stabbing- three attacks, three hits, two of them Crits. This isn't going well, have I mentioned this before? Mohag has had enough, its frenzy time (and reckless rage of course), but just to say the barbarian is at present fighting with his dagger- he can't swing a greataxe, he's thrown his magical handaxe, and so... The barbarian stabs a xvart, and a moment later takes a sling stone to the face. Fair exchange? Lappoy gets closer, and then fills one of the newly revealed chambers with a Thunderwave, bits of the ceiling collapse but all four xvarts within the room survive the ordeal. Mohag gets hit by another sling stone. And then another- this one's a Crit. And then the osquip in one of the newly revealed chamber's bites Mohag, and that's a Crit too. The barbarian is down to one hit point. Meanwhile... Trebbelos, back in the very first pit and on just two hit points manages, at last, manages to extract himself from the trap- and then to swig down a potion of healing. Which is more than can be said for the paladin, Sir Glen narrowly avoids injuring himself again trying and failing/falling to get out of the same pit. The DC to do so is 10, Sir Glen is +4 for athletics, you do the maths. Sho-Rembo meantime gets to Mohag with a second level Cure Wounds, but that's the only thing she can do. Mohag gets stabbed again. And then hit with another sling stone- another Crit. This really isn't going well. But Mohag is still stabbing with his dagger, and two of the xvarts fall, and that's the opening that Krago needs, the dwarf steps in and brains the next xvart in line- three of the little bastards dead in a matter of seconds. But there are still six xvarts and an osquip packed in here. Mohag takes a bunch more hits. [ATTACH type="full"]149845[/ATTACH] [B]Bloody hell![/B] Mohag is back down to six hit points. Lappoy steps up again and fills the other chamber with a Thunderwave (or rather a Thunderwhimper = 5 damage, save for half) all but one of the inhabitants survive. Mohag gets hit by another sling stone, its what he does. And then another... the barbarian drops and sprawls. The osquip, unleashed, rushes out of its chamber and starts snapping and biting at Krago, the dwarf keeps the little beast at bay- but now he too is screaming for help. Trebbelos, at last, catches up with the action. Sir Glen, at last, gets out of the bloody pit he was stuck in. Sho-Rembo rushes in and fills the eastern chamber, for the second time, with a Thunderwave- and now there's just one xvart left in here, and another in the chamber over, and yet another further on down the passage (having fun sling time), and then there's the badly wounded osquip sitting atop the fallen Mohag. Sosspan catches up with proceedings and fires three Magic Missiles into the osquip, it lives. Krago stabs it, and still it lives. Lappoy stops a sling stone, the xvart at the end of the passage dances and cavorts on the spot- this guy hasn't missed yet, he's the king of the sling, and I mean with six or seven attacks. That must get annoying. For the players... A xvart stabs Krago in the back, as Mohag coughs blood and fails a Death Save. Lappoy fires a Fire Bolt into the osquip, and at last- it dies, the High Magicker gets to Mohag with a potion of healing (and an inspiration point) and then attempts to drag the big feller away, and he does, all the way into cover. That's Lappoy's secret- right there, roll high. Krago gets hit by a sling stone. Trebbelos steps up and hits a xvart with a Fire Bolt, he kills it, and now the eastern chamber is clear, the tiefling sorcerer steps out of the muddy passage, into an equally filthy and muddy room, strewn with a bunch of dead little bastards (xvarts). [ATTACH type="full"]149846[/ATTACH] [B]This is tough going.[/B] Sir Glen catches up with events and goes scooting off down the muddy passage, eventually catching up with the capering xvart slinger, although out of actions, the paladin arrives just too late, Sosspan hits the xvart with a Fire Bolt and it too drops. Krago brains the last xvart standing, and that- for now, is all she wrote. This was the most sweary session of D&D I have DMed for several years, not bad you understand- nobody threw all of their toys out of their cots, but- boy, the players were not happy. Xvarts are off their Christmas card lists, and osquips. [More xvart guards and another osquip 500 XP] Note, the Unexpected are beaten and bloodied, many of them are very (very) low on spells, I am assured however that they are far from broken. They're determined, and that counts for a lot. So, here's a thing- why did the players leave the three sidekicks- Corbis, Scrubs and Tribbits back up top, well... because these three were looking after the ropes, and then the chambers were really cramped, and then... well, they just forgot about them. I just thought I'd let the players know- the two warriors, Corbis and Tribbits, they've both got very good athletics skills (needed to stay out of the pits and to negotiate the narrow and muddy passage), and, of course, the sidekick expert- Scrubs has the Helpful bonus action, to allow him to aid another with a check. Some of these things could have proved useful. Just saying. That's all we had time for in this session. Oh, but Lappoy has enough XP for level 4, while Scrubs has enough to become a level 3 expert. If they get out of this place alive. The pot is up to £102. Stay safe and well you lovely people. Toodles for a bit. Cheers the Unexpected and goonalan. [/QUOTE]
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