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Message: <blockquote data-quote="THEMNGMNT" data-source="post: 8801250" data-attributes="member: 6809274">The first character death in our 38th session of Monte Cook's 3E Banewarrens campaign run with Shadow of the Demon Lord on Owlbear Rodeo.Five player characters at Level 7:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dwarf Executioner/Berserker/Warrior. He seeks the Axehammer of the Lost Clan, rumored to be in the Banewarrens.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Elf Librarian/Wizard/Magician. Outcast from elven lands, raised in Ptolus, keeper of a dark secret. His magical traditions are Arcana, Teleportation, Chaos, and Fey.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Goblin Pyromancer/Oracle/Magician. Responsible for the destruction of his tribe. Specialized in the Fire and Forbidden magic traditions, with a dose of Divination.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Changeling Dervish/Spellbinder/Rogue. Created by House Vladaam to replace a child they kidnapped and held in servitude. Naturally, she wants revenge. Two weapon fighter with the Battle tradition.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Human Defender/Paladin/Priest. Cleric of Lothian, the primary god of Ptolus. His magical traditions are Life, Theurgy, and Battle. His wife was murdered by undead and now he seeks answers.</li> </ul>The characters are in the Inner Vaults of the Banewarrens, next to a deep crater caused by a massive explosion. This session resumed in the middle of a three way fight: the characters, a faction of intelligent undead, and demons summoned from the depths of Hell. The leader of the undead -- a boneclaw torturer called Vellacor -- knocked out the dwarf berserker. Yet the characters were on the cusp of victory...until the changeling spellbinder unthinkingly cast a spell -- thus summoning another demon due to the strange magical aurora emanating from the crater.Each demon was bigger and more powerful than the last. And this being the fourth demon summoned, it was the size of an ogre. SotDL has a very fun, nasty table with unique features for each demon. Browsing the table, I gave the demon a weapon that dealt Corruption with each hit -- and also implanted a demon seed. On a failed saving throw, the seed would birth a small demon that exploded out of the victim's body.The characters were hamstrung by their inability to cast spells. Despite that, they held their own against the demon -- thanks in large part to the human paladin. The demon taunted the paladin and targeted him every round. The paladin was hit three times -- gaining three points of Corruption -- and two demon seeds gestating within his body. The third hit felled the paladin. Then the first demon crawled out of his body, killing him instantly.It was the first character death I've had in this notoriously lethal system. And it's the first time this player has lost a character in 5 years of playing together. The fact that it happened to his paladin at the hands of a demon in the most gruesomely Shadow-of-the-Demon-Lord-way possible made it epically memorable.Meanwhile, the boneclaw killed the characters' minotaur ally and fled in the chaos. Simultaneously, the boggle ally tried to possess the body of the goblin oracle. The goblin made his save, then attacked and killed the boggle.It was a grim session.Lots of fun!Next session: Life after death!</blockquote>

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