D&D General How Was Your Last Session?

[Richards]

During today's "Down to Erthe" campaign session, the PCs:

• Learned from the mermaid PC (who had weird dreams the previous night as the memories from her human host body sorted themselves out after the previous game session's activities) recalled something her host body had done months ago: translate a scroll written in an archaic version of the Drow language which provided the ritual for transforming into a powerful undead (the human had assumed it was just an interesting myth, whereas the mermaid knew better)
• Decided to hunt down the human sorcerer who'd paid to have the scroll translated, learning he was the last of his line, his family manor house had been burned down a year or more ago, and that the family had an elaborate crypt in a graveyard in a well-to-do section of the city
• Checked out the crypt, found a way in, triggered a trap that had them fighting two dread guards (animated armor), then found the secret door leading down below the crypt
• In the belowground chambers, fought what they thought was a skull-headed zombie (it was a skull spider "piloting" a headless zombie), and in the adjoining chamber, what at first seemed to be a mindless zombie and a Small earth elemental
• Quickly learned the zombie was much tougher than it had any right to be - it was the human sorcerer, who'd transformed into a juju zombie and was casting all of his spells silently so as not to reveal the spells were coming from him
• Slew those two (but not before the juju zombie summoned a second Small earth elemental), then the three zombies and three skeletons he'd raised earlier, who were digging their way below other coffins in the graveyard to provide new bodies for him to animate
• Found their way to his treasure vault (fighting past four animated statues they'd feared were much tougher caryatid columns), raided his treasure, and decided to turn the whole place over to the thieves guild two of the PCs work for

It was just a short dungeon crawl -sometimes those are fun, just for something different.

Johnathan

 

[Richards]

In last night's "Middle of Elsewhere" campaign session, the PCs:

• Rode their wagon through an ethereal curtain, ending up on the Outlands
• Found out the hard way there was a symbol of sleep on the other side of the curtain, causing one of the horses, the dire fell fox animal companion, and my cleric PC to fall asleep (my PC tumbled off his undead horse, fell to the ground, and took enough damage to wake himself up)
• Saw the ambushers: a cleric and wizard on one side, two female rogues on the other (all four of them doomguards), calling to each other to kill the PCs and take their wagon for their own
• Had the celestial elf witch PC start off small with a magic missile spell to the cleric
• Watched as the shadow druid PC took off, trying to ensure he wasn't stuck in a "clump" with the others (just asking for a fireball or something) and cast an ice storm spell on the two enemy spellcasters
• Had the fiendish orc fighter PC charge one of the female rogues, then get double-teamed by them in return (and they each carried two weapons, striking twice every round with each)
• Had my cleric summon three howlers to go aid the orc; they killed one rogue off immediately
• Saw the wizard disappear; a successful Spellcraft check told my cleric he'd just cast a greater invisibility spell
• Had some unseen monster pass through the elf, imploding her body a little (not quite sure how that works - you'd think any amount of implosion would be deadly!)
• Watched as the elf cast a teleport spell to get her 40 feet away - an odd choice, using a 5th-level spell when a 3rd-level fly spell would have done the same thing and given her additional flight for the rest of the fight
• Had the druid wild shape into an eagle to take to the air
• Watched as the howlers and the orc slew the other rogue
• Had my cleric cast true seeing, finding the invisible spellcaster and a weird bit of "misplaced air" where the thing that attacked the elf - a Small vacuum elemental, as it later turned out - and directed his allies' attention as to their location
• Killed off the cleric with a flame strike spell, had the howlers slay the invisible wizard, and then took out the vacuum elemental with another flame strike spell

When we looted the bodies, we got a bunch of decent magical treasure (much of which we'll sell when we get to Sigil), but also a map to their own treasure lair cave, which we'll be seeking out next adventure.

Johnathan

 

[Reynard]

A long running campaign ended with a boss battle that basically landed with a wet plop -- 18th level PCs versus the Wizard King and his archmage thralls. I wanted to build and run the combat by the rules (5.5E) and I did -- which made it pretty boring, to be honest. On the upside, the sessions leading up to it were great as the PCs had the battle their way through to the Wizard King.

 

[Gorg]

Today's session continued the journey through the mountains, looking for Tamoachan. Things are looking encouraging! We learned that the caverns are to our SOUTH, not toward's Iggwilv's peak. From the old Hermit. We also learned a few other nuggets: Nobody has come looking in a very long time. Those who have, the few who returned were empty handed. And half a day's journey to the NORTH, is a valley occupied by gnomes- who may know more, and be willing to let us setup camp there.

The other road leads to an abandoned dwarven mine. Abandoned because a dragon moved in... Also Trolls have been seen coming and going.

So far, we've paid dearly on our way into the mountains. (DM note. using a random encounter table to get more out of the hex crawl portion. the dice have been trollishly indicating lots of them...) a rockfall that blasted half the party, an avalanche that blocked the road back, attacked by a pack of wolves, ambushed by a Goblin raiding party, and stumbled onto and Ogre den. We also met a group of tribesmen out hunting and patrolling- made friends-ish with them. and today, on our way to talk to the gnomes, we met a small army of Dwarves looking for some orcs with blood in their eyes. Better them than us!!

We arrived at the Gnome valley, were challenged by sentries in the canyon opening, and after a bit of a wait (short rest time!) met the leaders. Made a deal with them to hunt down a band of Trolls who raided them, and return what was taken. In exchange, we get to find out exactly where this place we are looking for is- and a home base with friendly neighbors should we need it.

We already know where we can find SOME trolls. Perhaps they are the same ones. Might even go look up that dragon- no telling what it knows. Or what loot we might win if it comes to that!

Better than stomping around trying to search a vast mountain range!! (the Galena mountains dividing Vaasa from Damara in Faerun) Rumor has it that there is a LARGE party of pissed off Gnolls (is there any other kind??) wandering around looking for things to kill. Hopefully they remain somewhere ELSE.

as an aside, the Druid was chuffed to actually be able to cast that Call Lightning circle spell She's been holding onto. We were suitably impressed. The goblins- those who lived- not so much. The Boss had a rather electrifying experience! (well deserved- the opening salvo of the ambush was casting blindness/deafness on our thief- who blew his save... How rude!!)