Not KotS
Session #016b: Rats! & “Pull me up. I don’t like it.”
The Inspectors.
Chromium Malifax aka C-Fax (Rob), Male Silver Dragonborn (Noble) Paladin of Bahamut Level 2
Mavis Golightly aka Mave (Sandy), Female Half-Elf (Acolyte) Cleric of Chauntea Level 2
Arbuthnot McGow aka McGow (Al), Male Mountain Dwarf (Soldier) Fighter Level 2
Snakebite (Kenji), Female Half-Orc (Outlander) Monk Level 2
Travis Pickle (Yui), Male Lightfoot Halfling (Criminal) Rogue Level 2
Dead PCs
The Inspector aka Spek (Kenji), Male Rock Gnome (Charlatan) Sorcerer Level 1- Killed in Session #2 by Eggnog the Kobold Dragon Priest.
To-do list/Quests-
#001 Save Dicky Bird aka The Fat Pidgin, and bring him home safely to Edna Gingster, although Dicky is on his way to the Narthex, which is in the Labyrinth, which is near the Seven Pillared Hall- which is in the Underdark- Bugger. Reward: 2000 XP & 1000gp each.
#004 Stop Orcus-worshipping Karl’s ritual to bring an undead army to Kirkgate. Basically, save the village, begs (eventually) Lord Crumble. Karl is in Kirkgate. 1000 XP & 500gp reward.
#005 Find/Save Cheggers. That's it really, the PCs just need to find/save Cheggers (he’s with Karl, if he’s still alive), for Fionulla (the spy). Reward 100 XP.
#006 Find and kill/capture the Bloody Heck- including any leaders. Recover any prisoners they have kidnapped. Reward: 400 XP & 100gp, with 1gp paid for every member of the Bloody Heck confirmed dead or captured.
#007 Find all five symbols of Kurgan Kurgan’s office to open the way below Kirkgate. 1000 XP reward (and the PCs get to keep the items of course). Four items found so far.
So, here’s the second half of the session, the Inspectors- now praying to Bahamut all the while, they’ve (eventually) learned their lesson, head off after the last item on their Bahamut shopping list- a magical longsword, they reckon (correctly).
Over another pair of slightly sturdier rope bridges spanning the black depths, and to a set of spiral stone stairs going down, which is apposite as down is where the last item will be found.
To here, and McGow reckons they’re over a hundred feet below the surface now, and- according to Travis (the prayer expert) they’re looking for another way down further yet. The last Bahamut item is deeper still.
It’s slow-ish going because the PCs are being very cautious now, all of them except for C-Fax are still injured from the last few fights, and their getting low on spells and powers, and so… slow and steady are the Inspector’s watchwords.
Onwards, to here…
McGow has spotted a hole in the ground- a well? Is the last item down there? But then he spots a set of wide stone steps descending to the east.
The rest of the PCs head over and…
Mavis is certain (after more praying) that the well- or whatever it is, is indeed the place they need to be. C-Fax has found another barred opening, while Travis & Snakebite are following McGow on.
Note, McGow isn’t making any religion checks (praying to Bahamut) while the other PCs are doing so at odd times. Travis is making a check every twenty or so seconds, just be sure, although in truth the young lad rolls more failures than successes.
Mavis calls her colleagues back, but…
Then the giant rats come scurrying out in search of a meal- seven of them, and with another six-arriving next turn. It gets busy.
Particularly for McGow who takes two or three bites (the rats have pack attack/advantage) including a Crit in the opening moments. The dwarf fighter is down to just four hit points remarkably quickly.
But the hefty (and sweary) little bugger just gets his second wind and then starts dishing out the pain.
As do his comrades.
Everything is under control, or so it seems.
The rats each take a couple of hits to put down, but…
Things are going very well, although McGow just got critted again- he’s back down to just a handful of hit points.
But then Mavis gets bitten (another Crit- go me and my dice) and then when she steps away from her giant rat attacker (on her turn), triggering an opportunity attack, well- I roll my third natural ‘20’ in a row. The priestess (AC 19 with her new magical shield, let’s not forget) is down to one hit point.
Then Travis gets bitten, then Snakebite- twice in a row, McGow must grab out and sink a Potion of Healing.
Like the song says…
Everyone (except C-Fax) hurts.
But it’s just a bunch of giant rats.
The end of the third turn of combat- there’s been a fair amount of missing going on by the PCs this turn. It’s all got a bit tense. Mavis is just about through the charges on her wand of magic missiles, and Travis has taken to shooting his crossbow and then running off to hide.
C-Fax has still not taken a hit, although he’s only managed to land one attack of his own so far.
McGow never misses, and it’s mostly the same for Snakebite, although the fighter hits much harder.
But it’s just a bunch of giant rats.
At which point, a suddenly luminous yellow fist of gloop reaches down from the ceiling and slams Snakebite in the face.
There is screaming, followed by a ‘20’ monster knowledge check (in a moment) from Mavis.
The creature on the ceiling is a large Ochre Jelly.
Back to Snakebite, well- she’d be ko’d if it wasn’t for her relentless endurance.
The blob hits hard.
Enc#23 Rats! 775 XP CR 6 Deadly.
13 x Rat, Giant (25xp each) As per MM Giant Rat except better HP spread on Fantasy Grounds 2d4+4 (6-12 HP each).
1 x Ochre Jelly (450xp) As per MM Ochre Jelly except better HP spread on Fantasy Grounds 6d6+36 (42-72 HP).
Tactics- Starving Giant Rats attack until the Ochre Jelly turns up and then they flee. The brainless Jelly attempts to batter a PC to death and then eat/consume them.
13 x Rat, Giant (25xp each) As per MM Giant Rat except better HP spread on Fantasy Grounds 2d4+4 (6-12 HP each).
1 x Ochre Jelly (450xp) As per MM Ochre Jelly except better HP spread on Fantasy Grounds 6d6+36 (42-72 HP).
Tactics- Starving Giant Rats attack until the Ochre Jelly turns up and then they flee. The brainless Jelly attempts to batter a PC to death and then eat/consume them.
The rats flee (both of them) and the Inspectors offer no contest- they let them pass, this while Mavis lets her comrades know that lightning attacks and slashing weapons are no good against the ooze- don’t use them.
The Inspectors don’t hold back; they unleash everything they’ve got on the roiling ooze- including the last charge of Mavis’ wand of magic missiles.
And…
The Ochre Jelly doesn’t survive, although it did manage to hit Snakebite again before being put down, the half-orc is down to one hit point- and her relentless endurance is already spent.
That was close again for Kenji.
And the PCs are really blowing hard now, save for C-Fax they’re all low to very low on hit points (and healing HD for that matter). They can’t go on…
They must rest.
And so here we all are again, rested- but still mostly broken.
What’s to be done?
And so, eventually, after another ten minutes prevaricating, McGow ties a rope around his waist, several pitons are driven into the stone to hold the rope, and the fat dwarf is lowered down into the void.
McGow isn’t happy about being the scout I may add.
He isn’t the scout- is the point he most often makes.
Anyway, the hole/well descends through just five or so feet of bored stone and then through the ceiling of a massive, ruined chamber.
It looks to be a temple.
Note, in the image below McGow is situated, hanging from a rope, about thirty feet above a black stone… altar?
Over to the far west the dwarf can hear, and just about see, standing water. Also, to the near west is an area filled with rubble and broken pews- to the north and south ruined and wrecked raised (and crenelated) areas, and to the east. McGow doesn’t want to look to the east, spinning slowly from his rope alas he doesn’t have a choice.
To the east McGow is at eye level with a black stone statue of a clothed and cloaked (and horned) devil, the creature is wielding a dagger in one hand and a wand in the other.
Eventually McGow has this to say, after relaying (as above) all he can see/perceive.
“Pull me up. I don’t like it.”
Note McGow’s statement above comes in two distinct parts- or else it is delivered thusly- ‘Pull me up’ is a direct and immediate order, while ‘I don’t like it’ is a whispered confession.
The Inspectors instantly obey the dwarf, who a little while later declares.
“I reckon we’re going to need to eat breakfast before we go down there.”
Here’s the thing- this is the last of the Bahamut-related items, five from five. This according to C-Fax/Rob & Mavis/Sandy- who have played quite a few games of D&D with me over the years, this is going to be an end of level bad guy.
They’ve been saying this for a while.
And keep in mind power-wise atm the Inspectors have got buttons.
And so, the Inspectors retreat all the way- back up the spiral stairs, then up the rope surrounded by the (ex-)spider’s webs, and then all the way back out of the ancient dragon burial site and into the last of the sunshine.
It is approx. 8 PM, the Inspectors are about an hour away from Kirkgate- do they head home, get a good night’s sleep at the Inn and come back refreshed early doors tomorrow morning? Or do they hang on here- get an early night (now) and an earlier start tomorrow morning?
It’s three days before undead army time atm.
Tomorrow will of course be two days before undead army arrival.
The Inspectors therefore retire to the ancient burial site, eat supper and get a very early night- setting watch of course.
The consensus is- they don't deserve a night in the Inn, not yet- they've not earned it.
Next time.
155 XP each for the encounter with the rats and jelly, and a bonus 50 XP for several lovely moments from McGow.
Cheers goonalan and the Tokyo Massive.
