DDAL Jasper DMs Dungeon of the Mad Mage Spoilers Completed

[jasper]

Ok, place holder here. Session 18 coming up. See my question beholder rays in another thread. And I just became an eviler dm.*****
Dungeon of The Mad Mage Session 19
Obstacle Course and Crystal Labyrinth
YOU SHOULD PUT A DON’T TOUCH SIGN or you can Surrender at any time.
Day 36
AP 4 TP 8 Renown 1 Downtime 10
PC Killed 9 Monster Killed 712 Villains Captured 13 Villains Escaped 28 PC Captured 2
Magic Items Unlocked Wand of Magic Detection Table B, Figurine of Wonderous Power Onyx Dog Table G,
I had an average group of three. (Remember the book is set up for four pcs) Bankshot warlock fighter, Skye monk rogue and Joseph Bard. Fidelio ghost was transferred to Skye due plot reasons (aka the other player could not make it).
Bankshot’s trident of warning starts screaming fishy fishy fishy, warning the party the monster on the other side of the door were going to attack. The lava children attack. Bankshot goes invisible (I think he was visible for maybe 3 minutes during the session) and goes long into the room. Joseph fades back to pass. And Skye stands fast. The group takes out two lava children before Bankshot casts Mass Suggestion that everyone gets into the pool (of lava) and do laps. OOPS. He forgot spell range and caught the monk in the AOE. OOPS. WHY ARE The LAVA CHILDREN CHARGING ME. Bankshot then notice he was between them and the lava, so he slides left out of the way.
SUDDEN DEATH SCREAMS HALASTER as the death tyrant SLOWLY TURNS THE CORNER. Activating its necrotic ray. (Note some discussion on if the Tyrant had to attack the visible target. I agreed yes.) So, seeing it allies going swimming and a lone adventure in the room, Skye becomes the only target. (Skye needs to show up more. It seems he takes all the damage he would take from missed session in one combat.) Four or five rays later Fidelio is screaming at the dead body of Skye, kicking him in the head, and doing things which will get you banned if you play online games. Fidelio dives into Bankshot’s body and both of them sling the tyrant to death. (Yes, Bankshot build took out the beholder in two rounds by himself). Fidelio did stick around to help the group search for magic items and allies against Halaster.
Once Skye was revivified, Fidelio guided them to various parts of the level so they could loot bodies or make allies. Halaster was not happy. Skye kung-Fu does beat Githzeria Zerth Kung-Fu. After a short rest because they were scared, they went down to the Crystal Labyrinth level.
They beat up an innocent Crystal Golem who want to share his brightness with them. Skye while falling back during the battle did see a stalagmite with a ghostly figure in it to the north. (For those who have the map Area 1, 4, 3 A and 3B is where the action takes place). Once they destroy the crystal dude, they check out the guy in the crystal stalagmite. Skye jumps over to the stalagmite and notices a Githyanki incased in it. It was a split decision of leave alone or break it. Skye casted the deciding vote and started karate chopping the crystal.
At the sound of harmoniously tone, it will be combat time. TONE! From off to the east a red dragon, some Githyanki Knights, and a Gish charge to investigate. Hearing them coming Joseph turns into a T-rex, Bankshot activates his cloak and moves away from Joseph, and Skye starts at the red dragon. Ashranthax breaths on the monk and T-rex. Skye flips out. Well back flips away from the dragon and crystal and retreats up the north corridor and follows it west and follows south and see a door. The T-rex charges the knights and Gish. Bankshot drops the dragon with a couple of stones. Ashranthax falls into the mists.
The door Sky is watching blows open and four guards charge Skye. Skye giggles at little as he noticed the fifth guard is still trying to pull up his pants and wipe the sleep out his eyes. So, five Gith Warriors are attacking Skye, five more are now charging the T-rex. Skye runs away back to the crystal stalagmite. The warriors misty step and follow. Between spells, lots of sword swings, the Githyanki have damage the T-rex to force Joseph back in his original form. Bankshot takes out a warrior, Skye takes out a warrior, and Joseph flees south toward a door. The warriors drop Skye and call for the group to surrender. They don’t. Some Knights surround Joseph. Some knights and warriors start to surround Bankshot while other warriors move into blocking positions. A warrior tosses Skye’s body into the misty area.
This gets the other two to surrender. But what happen to Skye. Skye awoken 3 hours later (made his death saves) on the body of a young red dragon. He is on the astral plane.
DM states you can honestly surrender as a free action even if not your initiative.
What to do with the prisoners. Tune in next week. Same Bat time. Same Bat Game Store.
DM says the two prisoners will start in room 29A. I will play by ear depending on who shows up.


******
As to the eviler dm. Since he invisible guy argued the beholder had to see him, I targeted Skye. BUT I also notice Legendary actions go off on "ANOTHER CREATURE'S TURN" generally I do legendary after PCs go. Also there was question on whether Skye could regain hit points. The player discover you wake up after 1d4 hours with 1 hp.

 

[jasper]

Grr. I really hate when people who have played a level try to use their knowledge to get out of a sticky situation. No just because you have a Int 20 does not mean you know the plans to death star. You just heard of Empire the last freaking session. Yes I will adjust an encounter upwards if you are heavy on the magic items.
But thank the stars some players can have fun watching others play. And get in trouble.

 

[jasper]

Dungeon of The Mad Mage Session 20
Crystal Labyrinth
Aukan and Ashtyrranthor Kissing on the Dock
Day 37
AP 4 TP 8 Renown 1 Downtime 10
PC Killed 11 Monster Killed 722 Villains Captured 13 Villains Escaped 28 PC Married to Dragon 1
I had a very strong group Rick Wizard, Drew Sorcerer, Aukan Barbarian, Joseph Bard, Pyra Cleric, and Bankshot Warlock Fighter. Magic items present two staff of the magi, cloak of invisibility, and some other stuff.
Okay from the start I told the two prisoners when they wanted play time to just say something. I also had a player set two hours on the clock, if that alarm was going off, I would switch to the prisoners.
Halaster woke up the gang of four who have been sleeping on the obstacle course. They woke up and skipped breakfast. The fight with two crystals golems were a little bother. They took some damage mainly Pyra. Four Githyanki warriors called them to halt. Aukan the barbarian told them he was here to discuss getting the prisoners cut free. They believed him a dumb barbarian out persuade four warriors.
The warriors performed an honor guard taking the players deep into the spaceship. Rick made a mess of himself as the gravity reversed itself going through a sewer cover. Everything was going great until the group encounter the two Gith L.T.s. (Note just because a pc has a 20 Int check, I don’t grant full textbook knowledge of rare races. I gave the player an arcana check. They missed.) The Githyanki Knights were wondering why these surface dwellers were not in chains.
Rick started mouthing off. (well not really, he rolled a one on his persuasion check and the knights rolled better.) The knights order the sergeants to take the group to docks to watch the execution of the two prisoners. The group picked up another set of four guards. They enter the docks and see the stars all around them and the realms around the noon position. Rick sends his owl out to the end of dock. The owl sees.
Stars to the front. Stars to left.
The four Gith which originally escorted the group, start side stepping away.
Stars to the right. Stars below me.
Aukan starts noticing the Gith are sweating.
Planet above me. Big Red adult dragon in low orbit around the asteroid behind me!
The group see the owl drop a load.
Then since her stealth roll beat their passive. Ashtyrranthor breathes on here.
MEANWHILE BACK IN PRISON ROLL. The ceiling turns into a high def tv screen with surround sound. Joseph is mad because he can’t play along. Bankshot is enjoying the popcorn which was slide under the food slot.
(Ok this combat was swingy. The dragon took some good hits the first time, she landed to do melee. She decides to play the distance game. She won by recharging three out of four rolls. Some times the dice hate the players). The combat was over with all eight guards dead or roasted. Pyra was going to failed her death saves but was in the path of the breath weapon. Drew stabilized. Aukan surrender and was pitching woo with the dragon. (Donkey and the dragon from Shriek).
The tv screen goes to rerolling the fight when one of Gith warriors approaches the cell. And starts commenting on the action. Joseph slyly comments the action would be better with some lute play. The guard falls for it. And with the lute all guards fall for the suggestion to take the prisoners early to their execution.
When the prisoners enter the docks, they find the body of Rick on the first pedestal. The body of Pyra on the third pedestal. Drew body covered in A-1 Sauce. And a very uncomfortable Aukan talking wedding plans.
The dragon does not want it lunch yet, and tells the guards to wait for tea time. About five game minutes have passed. Bankshot mouths off to the dragon. The dragon threatens to bite the head off the barbarian. Bankshot says…..
(Okay at this time it was only about two and a half hours into game play. I was exhausted from this fight. The players knew they could spend 16 TP to respawn. So, I offered. Bankshot could offer a contest. If he won, we all go home now with full XP and pick it up next game day. If he lost, combat begins with three people they may win. Or not and would be a TPK because, the dragon would make sure everyone was dead.)
Bankshot bets he can beat Ash in a dice game. Odds he wins the party is escorted to level 17. He loses he gets eaten first. Ash threw in the bonus, if she won her litter box would be moved to near the entrance of level 17.
Ash rolled 14. Bankshot rolled 23 modified due to proficiency with gambling tools.

 

[jasper]

Dungeon of The Mad Mage Session 21
Seadeeps
I don’t mind, you don’t matter
Day 38
AP 4 TP 8 Renown 1 Downtime 10
PC Killed 11 Monster Killed 744 Villains Captured 13 Villains Escaped 28
Magic Items unlocked Quaal’s feather token tree. Potion of acid resistance
Story award Uncovered telepathic spy
I had a very strong party Bankshot Warlock fighter, rogue, Rick Wizard, Drew sorcerer, Nathan Darkblood wizard, and Vandania Bard. Magic Items 2 staff of the magi, cloak of invisibility, robe of eyes. Two pcs had mind blank up all the time.
The group was fresh from a bath and two true resurrections when Durnan mention something on the level was spying on Waterdeep. Please be on the lookout for the creature.
They enter the level and it appeared to be a normal dungeon. Uneven floors and a little damp. Exploring more they found a pit with a statue of an adventurer who had started exploring the Mad Mage Dungeon four months earlier. (Rats I gave them a knowledge roll and they aced it.) So now they were cautioned against medusas, gorgons, basilisks, and what ever other monster which would stone them. As they traveled through one passage way they felt the vibration of rushing water beneath their feet.
Leaving the corridor, they discover a colony of Flumphs. Bankshot was able to think on them. The Flumphs let drop a lot of mind flayers were in the area. The mind flayers were fighting with the Githyanki. And occasionally stealing people from the surface to eat.
Nathan passive perception found a secret door which led to an empty guard post and a treasure room. The bard scored a great dagger which plays a guitar solo when struck or it hits a foe. (Note this was suppose to covert to cash. But AL prevents that so I just called it a trinket.) Bankshot stole the purple sunglasses from the treasure also.
They open the door and it got LOUD. They enter the pump station of some sort of machine. It was so loud they did not hear the Ettins yell at them. Nathan tried to talk with them. But he talked to Highfalutin. When an Ettin poked Nathan in the chest and told him he no belongs; Rick took it as an attack and the fireballs started falling. (Yes, Rick was looking for a fight.) Between Fire being bad, and the strong current, the Ettins were killed. And pureed by the dynamo.
The group decided to explore the west area of the dynamo and pump station. They encounter the Qualith scrip. (The investigation check resulted in Vandania recognizing you need tentacles to read it. Rick and Nathan got blinding headaches from trying to read it. Also, this was the last time I allow an investigation check on mind flayer stuff for various reasons. I just said it was too alien to understand.)
Rick casts knock to open the door. In the room is a statue of Halaster with a robe of eyes. Both Halaster and the robe were watching the gateway. Rick figured out three people holding hands would activate the gate but for some reason they decided to leave the gate alone. The sound of the dynamo was nearly gone once the door to pump station was close. But it was always in the background. Rick casts knock again on the opposite door and they leave the statue room.
The knock did alert the guard post which had some mind flayers and orogs, but the fight only lasted two rounds. The group took a short rest and smoke break.
As they came back from the short rest, Rick casted summon air elemental. He sends the elemental down the southeast hallway and it blew the door down to an alien lab. (Okay I really messed up this combat. Gave the air elemental and mind flayers a combat round to themselves. Mess up where and when some spells went off. Etc.) At the end of this fight with Drew brain nearly being eaten, and on mind flayer fled, the group could not make sense of the alien coffins. Other than someone fireball had destroyed six of them and burned the occupants alive. (Yes, one fireball did over 55 points of damage.) They leave the lab and enter the south corridor of the pump station and turn north.
On the north corridor they discover the mind flayer who fled, and a large mind flayer which they take down in one round. Killing the telepathic spy.
(Ok at this time it was 9 P.M. All over combat was going to be a cake walk, so I called the session and awarded full XP.)

 

[jasper]

Oh, the player running Rick is getting on my nerves. It is bad when he starts calling out room heights. But going out the way to avoid traps. In the alien lab room he had the air elemental start pulling wires. This when I decided everything was too alien for knowledge checks. But once he was able to decide which direction to take, grr. As soon as he turned north to the special mind flayer location, I just didn't care to run the game any more. He was briefly confused when I called the game early and said everything else was just a bag of hit points.

 

[jasper]

Dungeon of The Mad Mage Session 22
Vanrakdoom
I wander what I see in my mind’s eye.
Day 39
AP 4 TP 8 Renown 1 Downtime 10
Season 9 4 hours played. Gp 800. Renown is your tier. Downtime 0. You gain 20 days of downtime when you level in Tier 2 or higher
PC Killed 11 Monster Killed 772 Villains Captured 13 Villains Escaped 28
Magic Items unlocked. Sun Blade see me for minor effect. Cloak of bat, Mithral armour chain shirt grants Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Story Award Saved the dragon. (by this much).
I had a very strong group of seven. Trinion wizard, Joseph Bard, Rogarsh fighter, Aukan barbarian, Rick wizard, Drew Sorcerer, and Joe sorcerer. Since I had a strong group, I extended the special effect of part of the floor to the total floor. Joe failed the first check and really didn’t care.
Ok them being random at times help speed this floor. They turned west and enter an empty room and discover a secret door. (All secret doors would be found due two people’s high perception). Opening the door and seeing a skeleton dragon juggling 3 skeleton dwarves caught Aukan attention he rushed to the wall carving. And accidently kicked a coral ring which was so nice he picked it up and put on. (Dm’s fiat aka cut scene). He gets a vision of the coral ring’s owner giving the friendship ring to Lord Moonstar a paladin looking dude. They leave by the second secret door.
Seeing they enter one of Halaster’s archway room they decide to leave by the regular door but hear a cult ritual going on. They do some prep spells throw open the door and destroy nine plus cultists. As they are padding themselves on the back five of the bodies rise as shadow assassins. This was a good fight.
Joseph decides to knock on the south door and gets invited in by four vampire spawn for a bite to eat. They miss. I don’t think their turn came back around. Spying the secret door on east, they go east. Trinion sees a silver hilted sword on the floor and stoops to examine it. (CUT SCENE of Lord Moonstar only slightly mad declaring glory and victory lie in the Undermountain.)
Exiting the secret south door, they turn east. And go East. And got East. And were going to ignore the Eastern double doors until Trinion activates the sun blade, opens the door and enter. (About this time the store got loud for about an hour so some players were missing things and I just pushed the action). He three finger salutes the Shar statue and turns south to mess with some old tapestries. (CUT SCENE of the jungle with Lord Moonstar and his best friend Glyster talking about the Black Jungle.) The group backtracks and goes south and then east.
They find a huge alcove with two fates holding silver glowing thread. Behind the fates is a necrotic curtain of death. Trinion cuts both threads getting a Halaster boon and bane and destroying the curtain. This reveals a set of double doors. Rick sees a riddle on the floor, ignores and knocks the door open. (grumble grumble no back tracking grumble no triggering trap. Oh well). The group enters a huge entrance way to a death temple. House keeping have been by as they cleaned up the hallway of the dead adventurers. The skeleton of dead adventurers is stack neatly in various alcoves. Trinion decides to create some skeletons as back up. While this happening Rick knocks the eastern door. (CUT SCENCE of Lord Moonstar fighting Glyster over the topic of a dark woman). They enter the east dining room. HOUSEKEEPING has not been here. Cobwebs cover the lower five of height of the room. The height above five feed is only kept clear of spiders by the numerous swarms of bats which fly through the room. They turn south and even the barbarian kitchen is clearly clearer. The silver ware is tarnish and an inch of dust is on the stove. They continue south and discover the pantry.
Which is not empty, as Portia a female from Waterdeep has added to menu. (Small break and info dump.) Portia fills them in to the fact vampires and vampire spawn are about.) The group turns west and discovers Keresta reading a menu followed by her loyal Abominable Yeti. The thick fog is hiding something. Rogarsh charges in a discovers a vampire spawn to the north, the rest cut loose with various sunbeam, sun burst, and sunny delight to waste most of spawn in two rounds. Keresta flees.
(Ok this was a great chase scene and I used Keresta legendary actions to flee. But I did give Rogarsh a chance to spot the secret door with out using a perception check. He rolled 24+ and caught the secret just before it close. As time was getting short and the party could overwhelm anything they encounter, I ask them do they want continue the fight or peace out.)
Keresta peaced out and talked to the pcs. She had her last two minions fetch the horn and shirt. Giving the group an info dump, she beat feet. Or would that be winged out.
The group enters the dragon lair. Umbraxakar bits the four gift givers forward. Rich starts to say something and Umbraxakar growl, “Gift givers only LUNCH. “Rich goes quiet and steps back. (Ok this where the loudness of store help. Rick did not hear the only gifts forward. But when I yelled and pointed, I stunned the player.)
Rogarsh steps forward. Gifts the dragon the armor and hopes this helps it remembers. Persuasion check 24.
Joseph the bard steps forward. Gifts the dragon the horn and hopes the overs comes his guilt. Persuasion check 23.
Trinion ignites the sun blade and asks the light of blade show the way to return to good side. Persuasion with advantage 19.
Aukan the barbarian steps forward. Remember friendship is always friendship. Persuasion check 23.
(Level complete. The dragon returns to an adult bronze dragon. NOPE NOPE NOPE. The dragon is NOT becoming a companion to the group.)

Back to game. Local group decide to convert to Season 9 changes early so the big boom sticks were left home.

 

[jasper]

Dungeon of The Mad Mage Session 23
Caverns of Ooze
Ooze on down. Ooze on down the road
Day 40
Season 9 4 hours played. Gp 800. Renown is your tier. Downtime 0. If you played in session 22 with same pc gain a level and 1,600 GP.
PC Killed 11 Monster Killed 784 Villains Captured 13 Villains Escaped 28
Magic Items Found Mariner’s Scale Armor, Candle of the deep Common, Pole of Angling Common, Sending Stone, Propeller Helm small Common. Common magic items don’t count to you total. Tier 3 pcs can have 6 magic items in their inventory.
I had a weak ground due people not showing, or some people brought in newer pcs. Rick wizard, Drew sorcerer, Nox wizard, Boulder wizard and cleric, and finally Aukan barbarian arrived to be the meat shield.
This is small level. I accidently move one room to another location but it didn’t make a difference. And since the group could fly in some form the river was not a problem.
The group enters the level to the smell of mold, mildew and ooze. They discover the remains of a ship which went missing from Waterdeep Harbor. It was the Blue Opal. It has been demasted and abandoned. See nothing to loot, the continue on to the east. Ignoring the growing number of various color and size eyes watching the group, they find space orogs with crystal fish bowls on their heads. They top this off with what looks like a cheap tourist trap foam beholder hat. LT Rukha is amazed these natives can speak her language but the natives have never heard the planet Wingback and don’t even known what a planet is. Rick uses his superior technology called “Magic” to change the molecular formula of her drink to something gawd awful called “Sprite”. Drew uses her superior technology to transform Pvt Buckley into a mouse. LT Rukha gives her sending stone with directions to their crashed ship.
The group turns north. They enter a cavern with two inlets of a river of ooze. The ooze tries to communicate with the group by morphing into a conga line of modrons and then a life like ooze statue of Halaster forms and blesses them. The group was not impressed.
Enter the next cave they see six duergar worshipping a huge gray ooze in shape of a young Halaster. Rick demands they cultists bow to him. They refuse and a small fight starts. Rick casts Mass Suggestion which gets half of them to bow at his feed. While this is happening the ooze doubles in size and gets some good acid damage on Aukan and Rick. But the party drops their foes in about three rounds.
They spy an airship. Some one has hulled below the waterline with a disintegration spell. The party leaps through the hold and knock out a supporting beam which cause half the lower deck to collapse doing damage to almost everybody. They proceed to loot the airship. Going room to room. Until they come across Captain N’Ghathrod a former half elf turned mind flayer. After a quick battle the captain is demoted to Lt Fuzzy Face and promises to server Rick. (Spell book Copy the spells from Mind Flayer in monster manual and add animate dead, Bigby’s Hand, and Evard’s black tentacles.
Leaving the new LT to swab the decks, they are piped off the ship by the remaining crew. Turning north they discover a shine a purple ooze. The worshippers three huge black pudding are kind ticked off pagans enter the room and try to kill the party. But they die.
Crossing the river of ooze as enters the north wall, they are confronted by a slime mephit which they play nice with. They enter a huge and I mean huge purple geoid about forty wide to seventy-foot-long and thirty foot high. And are entertain by a Dao wear spats, a three-piece tux, top hat, and cane. Jaruk goes into their dance routine. The group discover a couple of decades ago Mr. J got into a poker game with Halaster, an unnamed person, and a lich named Ezzat’s. Jaruk promises a gem of brightness, some of the diamonds on the wall, and the location of air ship engine gem if they kill the lich on the next level. The group agrees.
The group wanders south discovering nothing of interest except two caves which have Halaster’s archways. The group have been avoiding the gates since the gates are level coded and would split the party. They cross over the river of ooze again. And hear a water fountain in the distance. They follow the sounds.
Entering a cavern which has water display, out of the center of the display a marid starts singing his song. (Yes, singing monsters). Ichthyglug is the other unnamed poker player who lost to Halaster. He offers some loot and the direct route to Halaster. The group yells “We had had a better offer.” And attacks. Then loots the dead body.
The session ended early but it was close enough to four hours. Next week if they find the lich, they get the other magic items on this level.

 

[jasper]

Dungeon of The Mad Mage Session 24
Runestone Caverns
Lick the Lich
Day 41-46
Season 9 4 hours played. Gp 800. Renown is your tier. Downtime 0. If you played in session 23 with same pc gain a level and 1,600 GP and 20 downtime days.
CORRECTION. Next week, Level 21 is still Tier 3. CORRECTION.
4 candy corn
PC Killed 13 Monster Killed 809 Villains Captured 14 Villains Escaped 28
Story Award Runestone Fragment recovered. Mirt The Moneylender owes you a favor.
Magic Items Amulet of proof against Detection and location, Bead of Force, Portable Hole, Ring of X-ray vision, Potion of Mind reading, Potion of superior healing, Potion of Force Resistance, Potion of Lightning resistance, boots of false tracks, Orb of direction.
I had an average group of 5. Rich wizard with mind blank. Drews Sorcerer. Aukan Barbarian. Nox Wizard. Boulder cleric wizard.
The group is surprised as the tunnels leading to the level narrows to just five feet by eight feet. Aukan steps on a death glyph and the group is no longer surprised. The groups go forward at the first intersection finding a huge stone golem bashing to pieces a sculpture of Halaster forging an item. Rick talks to the golem which replies, “H man bad. You like H man.”
Rick, “Halaster is bad man. Smash it again. Do you want to join us rock man?”
Stone Golem, “No have rocks in head. You mean to me feelings go away.” The golem turns and starts smashing again. Aukan has the group follow the south passageway. They come to a huge chasm which has a cloak of darkness about 100 feet down.
Aukan, “I think we should drop something down to see how far it goes.”
Rick, “I don’t think so. It makes go down two or three levels.”
Stone Golem, “Throw things down. Good idea!” The golem makes a grabbing motion to Aukan. “Stay still” Aukan ducks under the arms of the golem.
Rick,” How did he sneak up on us?”
Dm,” Because I wanted him too.”
Aukan ducks behind Rick. Rick “Not cool man” And he is grabbed into huge arms of the golem.
Stone Golem, “I will hug him, and squeeze him. And got airborne with him. Standing in the door jump master. “
Stone Golem, “Germinoma Airborne leads the way!” He jumps. Rick, “Misty Step. Misty Step. “The stone golem disappears into the darkness. After more than a few seconds, “ow!” Rick picks up the bead of force the golem dropped.
The group goes south and meets some Myconid, Myconid Sprout, who are taking in the peacefulness of the mushroom forest. Rick makes friends with them. Myconid warns the of the stone giants and stone fly men and rewards them potions to do so. Rick ask about the lich and then describes a lich.
Myconid, “Non stone. Slightly fleshly thing go south. Jump laughing cavern. Slightly fleshy thing smelling of mold is south most cavern.”
The laughing cavern turns out to be just another Halaster gag. Boulder has asked I don’t talk about the ten-foot-long by 1-foot pepperoni log he ate.
The group enters a cavern full of small mushrooms, stalactites and stalagmites. Exploring the cavern, they hear some voices coming from a northern tunnel. They enter the tunnel and Aukan is yelled at in dwarven from a group of Duergar. Aukan does on response fast enough. Spells are slung. More spells are slung. Aukan gets turned into a t-rex.
Gorka Tharn, “WHO DISTRUBES A MUMMY LORD REST. IS ANYONE LISTENING. IF YOU MAKE ME GET UP, I GOING TO KILL SOMEONE.” The mummy lord merges from his stalactite bed. Totally unnoticed. He attacks. And is laid back to rest with his mummy buddies in under three rounds. The group loot the mummies and go east.
The group laughs as the enter a medium size cavern. Three gargoyles to the north and three gargoyles to the south. They got this. The Barbarian goes south, spells are cast. Some gargoyles go down. Some stone golems step out the stone and smash people. They got this. Nox goes down. The still go this. Boulder near goes down. Ok they finally got this.
(Ok a PC is down. Normally they retreat and I take a break while we advance the calendar by five days. But a lich is on the floor. So Nox uses his faction favor card from 08-00 Once in Waterdeep. I since I been trying to keep the last few levels complete in one sit down session give the group an offer. They can explore normally and this is going to two sessions. Or miss a magic item, I shift things around and they start near the boss fight. They choose boss fight.)
Nox is on bed rest for four days and group finally on day 46 in a super huge cavern. Halaster, “hey what you doing here Rick. OH RICK. The lich is lair is just behind that door. SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE! Oh, sorry I think you wanted to get surprise on the lich. Here has an extra gargoyle to fight.” Initiative is rolled and the rolls will stay for the rest of the night.
Drew cast some type of gate thingy and the party gates to the door. (grumble grumble gripe gripe). Aukan kicks in the door. The group mostly enters. (I had drawn the liches tower and numbered room).
Chip, “Hi! I am Chip.”
Dale, “I am Dale.”
Chip and Dale, “And we the rescue rangers. We here to rescue your blood from your neck Rick” Dale puts Rick into a head lock and Dale bites Rick neck and starts to drain him.
Chip and Dale, “DM our food will not stay still. And this sunlight is a pain.”
DM,” Shut it. They casting good spells. Two people are outside the tower. And I rolling with disadvantage on everything. And waste two Nat 20s. Grumble Gripe.”
The vampires Chip and Dale were put down and the party crowd into the first room. Aukan kicks open the dining room door. The only strange thing other than the table being set for two for a seven-course meal is the ice staff. Rick greedily grabs the ice staff. (Hey Rick don’t get handsy with the Lich’s staff). The staff cast cone of cold as a reaction. (And I roll initiative and start at the top.) Boulder goes first and on his second time around shatters the ice staff. (Small discussion of me restarting initiative so it was agreed we just go in initiative order.)
Rick opens the door and walks into Ezzat. “WHAT” says the group! “What?” said the dm.
Ezzat, “Power word Kill!” Rick counter spelled with a Nat 20. Lich did have lair and legendary actions. Chip and Dale show up again to smack Drew down to zero. (Forget the lair action but it does 52 points). More spells and counter spells. Aukan grabs the Ezzat in an armlock. Drew rolls a Nat 20 on her death save she is back up. More spell casting. More spamming of Disrupt Life and 52-point lair action. More counter spelling of the lich’s spell. More saving of Drew. In the end Drew was dead. (Grumble gripe taking three or more tries). Boulder was TKO. The Trollskull Manor people have a new bar staff, Ipses the pseudodragon.
(Yes, this was the boss fight. The gloves came off and I was trying to legally kill the group. I was calling for hit point checks every round so the lich could target the weak.)

Note the player running Rick is still using his player knowledge because he has finished the book in homebrew. But since he allowed another player to pick directions and used a light touch this week, it did not bother me as much.

 

[jasper]

Notes. Nox died for two reason. Halaster is taking an active part to influence the fights. Also if I have multiple targets I roll a d20 at or below the monsters INT score, I play it smart.
Drew may have been able to get off an extra spell. But if a pc is currently swinging at Init 19 and Drew at 18 is coming up walking out for a smoke break means you pass your turn. Especially if it getting late.

 

[jasper]

Dungeon of The Mad Mage Session 25
Terminus Level
Planetar Train
Day 47
Season 9 4 hours played. Gp 800. Renown is your tier. Downtime 0. If you played in session 24 with same pc gain a level and 1,600 GP and 20 downtime days.
4 candy corn 1 piece of luggage
PC Killed 13 Monster Killed 836 Villains Captured 14 Villains Escaped 28
Story Award Torm Blessing of Protection +1 to ac and saves for 10 days
Magic Item Mace of Smiting
I had a strong group of six. Rich Sanchatz Wizard Day 8 of big boom boom stick withdrawal. Drew Sorcerer. Nox Wizard. Baulder Cleric Wizard. Trinion Abjurer. Aukan Barbarian.
As the group enters the level, they hear the distance sounds of mining but with the echoes it is hard to tell where it is coming from. The smell of hamburgers, roses and sulfur blow into their faces. Baulder is struck on the top of head with a drop of blood. Looking up he spies a patch of blood which grows to two feet in diameter and then disappears. Yes, the ceiling is bleeding. In the northeast and south west are mine rails. The norther rails contain a mine cart with low grade ore of silver and gold. The cart is of duergar design. Everyone but the barbarian hops in the cart and Aukan starts pushing the cart up slope.
The cart ride comes to a pause as Aukan catches his breath. This cavern shows some recent mining of mithral. And an easy monster. Behold Zombie. Trinion remembers Halaster seeds some levels with beholders. The rail continues south but another rail begins in the south west wall.
Aukan resumes pushing the cart up slope. The group comes to the end of line. Five tunnels lead off in different directions. Trinion sends his cat down the fourth passage way. Nox, and Aukan hear giant voices from the fifth passage. Garfield discovers passage way four connects back to three and there is no smell of lasagna coming from the south tunnel. He returns to find out Trinion is out of cat nip. Trinion not wanting to fight giants seals the fifth passageway with stone shape. (Grumble whimper whine. Pc avoiding fights.) The group takes the first passageway which dead ends after a few hundred feet. Drew and Rick in the rear think they being followed but don’t see anything. The troop fall back to the dead beholder cavern.
The adventures unload the southwest mine cart and pile in. Well except for Aukan who pushes off the cart and hangs on to the back. The cart gains speed.
Rick, “Cart!’
Aukan, “Yes we in a cart!”
Rick, “Cart AHEAD!”
Aukan, “How can carts have a head. It is heavy metal. Heavy metal requires no smarts!” (Note Aukan Int is 10).
Rick, “Hit the brakes!”
Aukan, “My breaks you look nice, do you want to go out for dinner?”
By now the group sees the mine cart ahead of them. They are going fast. Everyone “Apply the breaks you stupid….” Aukan pulls on the breaks. Sparks fly. Wheels screech. The cart slows but is still going fasts. It slows. And slowly kisses the mine cart bumper. Rick wipes his forehead. Ignoring the two tunnels to the right and left the group pile in to the front cart and Aukan pushes off. The cart gains speed then slows down. The cart gains speed and slows down. Aukan is playing with breaks.
Baulder, “Who you stop that!”
Aukan, “I have too. End of the line.”
They trip a flashback scene of a cleric of Torm fighting a planetar. Some of them remember the history of Fazrian who fell about twenty years ago.
The party moves south into a well done Duergar hallway. A solid marble door is blocking the advance. Trinion pops the lock and the group enter a lit hallway and start discussing which direction they should go. To the west where they can hear two duergar speaking in undercommon or to the east where its sounds like an officer is hearing a report. THEY ARE NOT WHISPERING!
Rojkarn a duergar captain, hears common from around the corner. He had going a report minutes earlier of an adventuring party on the loose on the level. “Who is that? Report and give you status!” he orders.
The group goes silent. (Yes, I didn’t think that as possible.)
Nox, “Assault Team Alpha reporting as order sir!” (What! Talk about off the cuff answer being the magic word! The duergar are trying to get rid of Fazrian)
Captain Rojkarn is happy he can send the adventurers to their deaths. If they kill the planetar good, he gets the credit. If not they not on his payroll and he gets the credit for weakening it.
Rojkarn, “Down this corridor is a horn room. On the east wall is set of double doors. Fazrian is behind the doors with a Nycaloth. Have fun storming the angel. “
The group enters the horn room. A marble with inlay gold two-ton horn is in the center. In dwarven on the side of horn is “If you blind us”. As Rick is reading this off, Aukan has climbed on of four pillars in the room. In the center of each pillar is a carving of a dwarven hero with blue sapphire eyes. Aukan grins happily as a he pops a sapphire from the pillar. The horn sounds. A huge block of stone crashes down behind the party blocking it end. Another block on the end of the room blocks the exit. Twenty dwarven ghost champions appear. Five around each pillar. Fourteen seconds later the party takes a breath and decide to use Tiny Hut to rest. Alarm is cast around the room. And the double doors are arcana lock. (I had Trinion up cast arcana lock at fourth level to get both doors).
(Yes, I added monsters and grabbed the notebook paper. This combat took about a half hour because I had to track hp and the player running Rick was keeping track of conditions. I did enough damage to some pcs and made them burn their spells but I thought some one would get seriously hurt. NOT!)
An hour passes. During that time the stone blocks retracted into the floor. Some one on the other side of the double doors tired to get out. The plan. Aukan will be turned invisible. Open the doors find the planetar and talk with her. The party will provide long range backup.
Aukan opens the door. Dax a Nycaloth, “who is there?”
Aukan, “Nobody. “
Dax, “I don’t see nobody.” Waving its hands in front of Aukan. Unknown to Aukan his invisibility has been dispelled. Aukan closes the door behind.
Aukan, “That is because nobody is speaking.” (Okay we had fun with the demon pretending not to see Aukan and Aukan not knowing he is visible.”
The party mouths drop open. AUKAN HAS CLOSED THE DOOR. AUKAN HAS CLOSE THE DOOR. The group rushes to rescue the barbarian. But the barbarian does not need saving. But the plan is solid. Talk with planetar and fight if necessary.
Okay, to sum up. Fazrian decides to start judging the group to see if worthy of joining her army. Trinion passes. Aukan is judged guilty but the Drew gets one last comment to persuade the planetar not to kill him. I called five minutes and let the group have a private discussion. Advantage plus two if they impress me. Plus, two because Torm was listening in and commenting. 14. Fight.
The fight lasted 90 minutes. They took out the planetar first but I was able to TKO Nox and Aukan with the marilith. 7 attacks on one pc hurt. I forget which spell Nox cast but he brought the barbarian up from two death saves. Yes, I was being nice as soon as I had a pc with two death saves fail, the marilith changed targets.