DDAL Jasper DM's Season 0

[jasper]

DDAL00-11A Session

Avernus: Reunited and It Feels so Good

OR COOKIE MONSTER RISES.

Day 1-11

Monsters Killed 5
Start Time 5:36 End Time 8:18

Gain a level, 10 down time days, and 80 gp for the first level you thought you were going to play.

Story Award. Private in Pipyap’s Legion. Speak and Understand Infernal. Once per long rest, as reaction gain resistance to non-magical and non-slivered weapons for one hit. Reset after a long rest.

I had 5 players out a possible 9 show. Since I didn’t let them use their pcs, I assigning them names. Starting at my left was Mouth, Lucky, Coward, Hungry, and Cookie Monster. And yes, I am dropping all the adult comments from the write up.

It was worth the extra money for the gummy worms and Oreo cookies. I did a bait and switch with the group. I had them signed in. On the white board was a note that they had been helping Old Man Martin with his gutters when they fell off the ladder. They been having nightmares since. They are sweaty. They are hot. Their sweat smells awful.

I then double check their character sheets and toss them across the room Well except for the on the cell phone. I then toss the two pound back of gummy worms and bears on the table and told to pick their mini out. I got some looks. Then I passed out the pregenerated Lemure PC to each person and gave them a few minutes.

They awaken as a lemure. The lowest of low. The millions. The stupid. The worm. They are ordered by

Grazulkul a bone devil to move a pile of smelly stuff. Hungry and Cookie monster try to speak but are whipped for their trouble. So is Mouth. (Ok. I kept hear things like. I am minus 5. I am minus what. Hellish what. And other delicious comments.)

As they are getting into the flow of things. They get teleported to the Prime Material Plane. How do they know. Because It is cool. They are near some sort of altar thing. Some Not Food is in front of them. Some food (skeletons) are at the other end of the hall. Lucky goes first and Cookie Monster goes last. Most of them charge! The group was happy because the altar is evil and gives them a hit point at initiative 20. Everyone is having fun except cookie monster. He only connected once; they rest of the time the skeleton treated him like a sweaty gym sock. After the rounds they kill the skeletons. Hungry starts eating on the not food which is now food. An imp names Pipyap appears and takes a bag of something from the now food.

It is a bag of cookies, Pipyap gives each of them a cookie. (Out come the Oreos and I hand each player a cookie.) Pipyap,” Eat the cookie it good for you.” The players and worms give the dm and Pipyap strange looks. “EAT THE COOKIE NOW!” orders Pipyap. The worms eat the cookie. (The DM smiles at the strange looks the players are giving him.) The power of the cookie transforms the Lemures to Not So Stupid Lemures.

Pipyap is sad that his friend Halvin Graingle has been killed, “Quit eating my friend and listen Hungry and the rest of you.” He pulls Hungry off of Halvin’s chest. “My Friend is dead. His soul is back in Avernus. I cannot go back but you can.” Pipyap wraps a cookie in a special napkin and hands to Cookie Monster. “Give this cookie to the Lemure named Halvin. Rats. Okay that is not going to work. Give the cookie to the lemure that smells like cookie breath. AND DON’T EAT THE EXTRA COOKIE BECAUSE….” Pipyap does not finish his sentence as the group is teleported back to hell.

Mouth, “How are we going to find him.”

Lucky, “Get Lucky.”

Hungry, “He said not to eat that one.”

Cookie Monster, “adult language, adult language, and more adult language. If ONE cookie can give 10 intelligence from 1. Imagine what a second cookie can do!” Cookie Monster eats the second cookie grinning at the dm.

THE DM GRINS BACK. (And also thought why did I use real cookies. Oh, yea so they would fight over the second cookie. But I thought another player would have going it.)

Nothing Happens. Except for Grazulkul crashing their sugar rush.

Grazulkul,” What the hell in hell do you think you doing? The five of you get back to work.”

Cookie Monster, “NO you ADULT Language Adult Language. I am going to kill you. I have Hellish Rejuvenation. If you kill me, I will come back. And Keep coming back till I kill you. Get him guys. “

(some table talk about who in the fight and who is out the fight. They all decide to fight.)

Lucky attacks first. And Dies. Cookie Monster dies. Hungry and Mouth attack and both die. And coward dies last.

10 days later. As they are slowly coming to understand they are going to be worms for the rest of hell, they are teleported to scene D. The characters find themselves in the domain of Jezricka (an Erinyes): an imposing female figure bearing a pair of blood-red feathered wings. Jezricka is flanked by a pair of bearded devils.

Hungry, “I would like to eat her chest.”

Jezricka, “All right where is that cookie Pipyap gave you?” All them point at Lucky! Jezricka, “Is that true?”

Mouth, “Yes No well he ate the cookie.” Everyone points at Cookie Monster. (Ah worms no backbones to stand up for your friends.”

Jezricka, “Lying I like it. Grab some weapons and what every you can find in my lair. Slime it! Move it. This is your promoting day!” As the group is trying to find weapons they can hold, Jezricka cast a ritual and the are promoted to IMPS.

(DM everyone flip your PC sheet over to the other side, and take a piece of paper. The paper gives them their new patron.)

Jezricka, “Now, you work for me. I am going to teleport you to Tiamat’s Lair. Find the Lemure which smells like cookies. And say my name.”

Hungry, “Adult language, Adult Language woman?”

Jezricka, “How about Cookie Woman!” with that she teleports them to Tiamat’s Lair.

After a few side adventures and some fun with the shape changing powers; they the cookie scent which leads to a forge. All but Mouth turn invisible. Mouth turns into a rat and dashes into the work room and starts dancing on the lava forge.

Spernik, “What do you want imp?” The rat imp Mouth tries to do ADULT Language but is reminded rats can’t speak. So, Mouth flips off Spernik. Spernik and his workers start throw potions of Wild Mage Surge. The rat grows feathers. (Ok with no planning Mouth finally tells the group that he is the distraction. Coward joins in on the distraction. The rest dash, double dash, door dash, hide and dash their way across the rooms.)

In the next room, they are all invisible. Cookie Monster, “We kill everything in the room after all we have Hellish Rejuvenation. Find Cookie Breath Call Cookie woman and we be home free.”

DM, “you don’t have Hellish Rejuvenation.”

Cookie Monster, “New Plan. The rogues sneak in and scout. The rest hang back invisible. Come running when we call you.” The rogues sneak into the chapel. They find nothing but a 20 foot deep pit which has Lemures in it.

Hungry yells, “I hungry. You guys check out the pit. I go looking for something to eat.” This alert

H’skkeir the manticore who charges into the room. Both Mouth and Lucky are now invisible, in the pit, and trying to find the cookie breath Lemure. H’skkeir is reaching into the pit and trying to claw at the invisible imps.

Lucky rolls a 20 on his perception and grabs the cookie breath Lemure. “COOKIE WOMAN!” The party disappears in a cloud of yellow sulfur smoke to arrive in front of Pipyap. Behind Pipyap is a living not food Halvin. Pipyap thanks them. Gives them their real names. Promotes them to Private and teleports them to prime material plane.

The gamers will like to thank the authors. Amy Lynn Dzura, Chris Dzura, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Alan Patrick, Lysa Penrose, and Travis Woodall.

 

[jasper]

Had the father son team from Tuesdays game play Saturday. The game only about 2 and half hours out 4. I think part of was the confusion of the swapped characters. And everyone was having fun acting like a worm. I did make some changes on the way, just had to go with the flow. Standard problem of me printing out maps and losing maps IN THE FREAKING SLIP I PUT THEM IN.

 

[jasper]

DDAL00-11B Session

Dis: When the Debt Comes Due

OR Steak or Stake?

Day 12-13

Gain a level, 10 down time days, and 80 gp.

PC Killed 0 Monsters Killed 11 Villains Captured 0 Villains Escaped 0

6 monsters were killed during the game.

Magic Items. Stone of Good Luck, Potion of Healing (if you didn’t use it), Soul Coin to Crash.

Begin Time, 6:20 End Time 7:59. They were not fooling around and got two social encounters.

I had a very weak group of three. Harry Nuts Fighter 3. Crash Thunder Tusk Ranger 2 Private in Pipyap Army, and Mc Hammered Cleric 3. The prop was a box of Slim Jim’s.

Private Crash had been getting dreams to report to a Cassyt in the Mid Dew Inn. Hammered and Harry just answered an advertising of wanted strong backs and weak minds. They arrive at the inn to see Cassyt a cleric of Kelemvor feeding a raven the size of a wild turkey. Hammered makes jokes about the fat raven, and the raven leaves droppings on his cloak. Cassyt welcomes the group to table with a round of free drinks and sends the raven to get the boss.

Pipyap the fat imp returns with a mission for Private Crash, and Crash’s minions. Deliver this locked box to the Hag Tal’kandelagrag in the City of Dis, in the plane of Dis, in the store of The Wanderer. He will issue the patrol a healing potion each, 2 ferry coins that is FERRY as in BOAT not Fairy as in FEY PRIVATE, and back pack of fresh medium rare steaks. (I toss the box of Slim Jim’s on the table and two of the players start to each some. Then they all give me a look. Rats they didn’t fall for it.) Pipyap tells them Dis trains in soul coins, harmful secrets, mortal guts, and occasionally fresh medium rare steaks. THAT is STEAKS as in MEAT STICKS, Not Wooden Stakes Mc Hammered.

Cassyt, Pipyap, and the group goes out back. Cassyt summons the portal. She casts Aid which bump their HP up 20 for 8 hours. Pipyap, “one more thing, this portal closes in 12” the rest was cut off by the portal closing. They have arrived in Dis, in a ruin about 50 feet above the River Styx and the ferry man Bob. They climb down and are met by their Lemures mounts. Bob does not charge extra for the mounts.

They cross over and on the road to Bai, Hong Kong, (DUDE WRONG SHOWS). On the road to Dis. They pass some specters who are giving out free hugs, the group evilly ignores them. They meet a dead Shrubbier who was killed by the Knights of Neat. Shrub the Shrubbier gives them more information about the city of Dis. And he only charges them three steaks for the information and ride to the gates of Dis. While waiting to pay their toll to Dis they hire the tour guides of Bezo, Cheka, and Ump not the Umpire to take them to The Wanderer. Bezo assures them they get the fastest way for only three medium rare steaks. The group pays their toll of three medium rare steaks.

The trip is kind of boring since Bezo voice is flat, he points of places of interest which always seems to be where mortals got killed and eaten. The group hits a traffic jam and while waiting they over hear some devils talking about Pipyap’s Debt to Tal (I not writing the rest of the name). And something about a blind girl and goats. (In joke which Mc Hammered got.). As the jam clears out, they are approached by a cute elf girl wanting water. This splits the party. Private Crush gives her water and offers to escort her to a garden hideout. Mc Hammered wants to go straight to store. Harry sides with Crush. Bezo goes with Hammered and takes a longer way to the store. The group splits the remaining medium rare steaks just in case. And it was a good thing, as it was trap. Crush and Harry are trapped in the Garden of Delights. But Edwin Efreeti lets them go for two well done steaks, and they can keep their souls and guts intact. THIS TIME. (Note write of Dis does not match the module write up.)

They arrive to The Wanderer. Skeeve the Mage, the guards Guido, Nunzio, Bruce, and they didn’t get the joke; wait on the group. Skeeve offers the drinks, food, shopping list. Hammered is not buying anything, and not buying the delaying tactics. He demands to see the hag Tal. Tal brings them into the back room. She sadly takes the payment box. Looks at he watch. The group delivered the package with three minutes to spare.

On the way out Skeeve delays Crash and Harry but Hammered makes a break to exit the city. Skeeve announces the three are in the pay of Pipyap. This summons the Dis Police who try to arrest all three. Hammered runs away leaving the other two to take care of problem. The group escapes but without a guide and running late the portal is closed by a spined devil. Who is killed for his trouble. The group finds their way back to Bob’s Ferry. They murdered two innocent bounty hunters of the hobgoblin race to get on the ferry. Bob rows them to freedom.

 

[jasper]

Hammered and Crash players were ticking each other off before and during the game. I had to not allow PVP during the game. Some of it was normal. It wasn't till we were packing up, I found out Hammered's car had been hit and while it was working, he is riding on his doughnut wheel. And I had three of my regulars cancel on Friday.
Also during clean up I pulled what I thought was just tape off my battle map. Nope it was the clear coat of the battle map. Grr. The map is only 3 months old and maybe 10 games old.

 

[jasper]

DDHC-Mord-04
Pudding Faire
Days 1-5
Time Began 5:30 End 8:08
PC Killed 0 Monsters Killed 1 Villains Captured 2 Villains Escaped 1
Gain a level, 80 GP, 10 downtime days
Magic Item Stone of Good Luck with bonus This palm-sized stone is cool to the touch and carved into the likeness of a beaming halfling face. While you hold the stone, you gain advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks made against good-aligned halfling.

Note from players when DMs run this, they need to track the exact order the players visit things.
Note to players. Some things are keyed by what day it is. NOT HUMP DAY CHAOS JOHN!

I had a weak group of 4. Tony Sorcerer 4. Crash Thunder Tusk ranger 3. Sparda barbarian 3 fighter 1. Bodak cleric 1. (Aside do you all want to keep listing the levels?)

Two messengers Tony and Tusk messengers for Realm EX, delivered a package to the green grocery Rotten Roger yesterday. Two Bounty Hunters Sparda and Bodak are in town hunting for the Waterdeep thief Elsie Rumknuckle. All four being tall folk (bigger than a bread gnome) are shoved into the attic of Tallfellow Inn. For three hundred years the strongheart halfling community of Honeypuddle has always enjoyed good relations with the forest gnomes of Threepenny Wood. (Oh, Pooh no bears) On the first day of summer each year, the halflings invite the gnomes to the Pudding Faire; where they cook a giant fruitcake (or “Great Pudding”) for their woodland cousins. (Can tell this English. Fruit cake is a brick um cake not a Pudding.) Note. Lots of names and locations in the module. Dms grab the highlighter.

They are awakened by the town crier the fair opens in 45 minutes. They slowly get up avoiding bumping their heads on the ceiling. They dress and wander toward the gates. Suddenly a terrier chases a rat out a wood pile. Both run between the town crier feet and he falls into a mud puddle.

The gates open. All but Bodak slide up to the cider stand for a wee dram. Two of them can’t even keep a wee dram of halfling cider down. (Big folk are weak.) While they are trying to breath, a young Wellington ask a young Maisie to the dance. Maisie looks down her nose and says,” I rather dance with that half orc name Tusk than you.” Wellington is heart broke and flees crying. The group wanders to archery contest. Tusk tries his luck, missing the fact the vendor Saziver Gearclick has handed him a slightly warped bow. He scores 28. The targets are difficult because they are on track that shifts randomly left or right. Bodak arrives and grabs an unwarped bow he scores a 35. Mumbles of cheating about the bless spell is heard. Saziver’s son arrives and shoots a 36. Mumbles of fix get louder. Tribi a nice girl arrives and shoots a 36 with an arrow left in her ammo. Just as she fires the target mechanism breaks causing her to miss. A brawl nearly breaks out. But the local sheriff Andy show up. He disqualifies the son for favoritism, and orders the game mechanism be fixed and Tribi shoot again later in the day.

As they are wander toward the main tent which has the piggy pudding. Um Figgy pudding. Um Fruitcake. A loud shout and fight is heard. As they enter the tent, they see a gnome roll under the north wall. The mayor has been turned into a frog.

Bodak, “I know this story.” He grabs the frog and kisses it. The crowd, his fellow party members, and the frog look at him in his disgust. “Hm. It does always work on the first time!” He kisses the frog again. The crowd, the group, and the frog give him degusted looks. “Third time a charm!”

An elderly arm reaches out below him, grabs his ear lobe and twists. His head is drawn down to meet face to face with Nanny Cowslip. Nanny asks, “what are doing?”

Bodak, “Trying to break...” Nanny twists some more and now Bodak is bend over at the waist and his head is brushing the ground. Nanny sighs, “Let pros do it.” She releases Bodak’s ear and removes the polymorph on the mayor. She turns to group, “Go Play. PLAY NICELY!” she eyes Bodak. “SCAT!” They scat.

Tony visits the psychic and is amazed she is not a fake.

Tusk, Bodak, and Sparda try out the stone skipping contest. Sparda is winning with 5 skips. Mimsy Rosblow a 11 year halfling tries. One skip. Two Skip. Three Skip. Suddenly a huge flock of butterflies fly through the event. Only Tusk sees Mimsy skip the stone six times. The judge did not see it. And Tusk is just a big folk. That air up there is thin. And big folk see things.

The group wanders to the pig stock yard. Farmer Butterweed second best sow is not even going to place third. His best sow was stolen this morning. The group agrees to check out the barn. The best sow had been stolen by humans because they left their boot prints behind and no litter. (Okay so all medium sized humanoids leave different type of boot marks?) Tusk leads the party into the Threepenny Woods. About an hour later they come across a forest gnome Flinty Peatpelt and his three daughters Fleecy, Flighty, and Winsome. They are buried up to their necks by Ankheg. Albert Ankheg decides the gnome Sparda will make for a great evening snack. The adventurers kill the monster, rescue the gnomes and make it back to Pudding Tent for the award ceremony. Bodak wins the archery contest, he wins the grand prize a beautifully carved cherry wood shortbow with a red stained leather quiver. As he about to slip into his turkey leg coma, he reviews the day. Back in the pudding tent he remembers seeing Elsie being in the crowd. He drifts asleep.

Day 2.

They are awakened by the town crier the fair opens in 45 minutes. They slowly get up avoiding bumping their heads on the ceiling. They dress and wander toward the gates. Suddenly a terrier chases a rat out a wood pile. Both run between the town crier feet and he falls into a mud puddle. Bodak bow is missing.

Sparda, “um people we are in a time loop.”

(Okay I going to sum up various events.)

At the cider stand they ask Maisie to give Wellington a dance. At the archery contest, Bodak does not cheat. And Tony mends the weak target mechanism. They try to stop the fight with gnome and the mayor. Tony and Tusk are turned to frogs. The gnome escapes. The group makes sure the judge sees the six skipped stone. Curiosity the Prize pig is not stolen. Elsie is captured in the Pudding Tent.

Day 3.

They are awakened by the town crier the fair opens in 45 minutes. They slowly get up avoiding bumping their heads on the ceiling. They dress and wander toward the gates.

Sparda, “um people we are in a time loop.”

Suddenly a terrier chases a rat out a wood pile. The party stops the town crier from being tripped in the mud.

(Okay I going to sum up various events.)

They stop a clown from getting his pants burned. They expose the fraud psychic. They ambush the mayor and toss him into a water trough. And ambush the gnome who is great at polymorph spells. As the gnome is fleeing, they pump him full of magic missiles emptying the wand of magic missiles and three javelins later. They kill the gnome.

Day 4.

They are awakened by the town crier the fair opens in 45 minutes. They slowly get up avoiding bumping their heads on the ceiling. They dress and wander toward the gates.

Sparda, “um people we are in a time loop.”

Will better planning than the day before. They capture the gnome. The gnome and Nanny have a history. NOT GOING TO TELL DUE TO SPOILERS. But gnome wanted some pudding but was banned by Nanny due to….

Bodak, “You want some Pudding.” He goes over to the fruitcake (cake is not pudding), slices it. Puts on a platter. Grabs a fork. And hands to the gnome. “HERE IS YOUR FREAKING PUDDING!”

The gnome eats the pudding.

DAY 5.

They are awakened by tummy aches from too much candy and food the day before. The Faire is over. AND SO IS THIS STORY.

The end.

DM NOTES. Bodak’s pudding idea is not even thought of as a solution to loop. But with that action he tosses out most of part 3. This module has lots of replay value for the dm but I don’t think the same players would enjoy rerunning with new pcs. Keep notes on the order on how things happen. With 20+ encounters the play thorough can have lots of variation. Most encounters take an hour in character. I also had props. Some Jelly Beans for Nanny. And some real pudding but not banana pudding for the pudding tent.

 

[jasper]

I typed up the two plot hooks. messenger and bounty hunter. And had the players draw from a pile. Tusk did ask who the message was for. I fixed that in this write up. But I suggest you either choose one the residences who is going to be at the fair.

 

[jasper]

a ccc module but not season 0
CCC-CIC-08 Session

The Last Voyage of the Woolgathering Tidsoptimist

Whatever Floats your Boat

Day 1-2.

Time Began 5:54 Time End 8:19

PC Killed 0 Monsters Killed 8 Villains Captured 1 Villains Escaped 0. Villains left to drown in the Brig. 1.

Gain a level. 80 Gp. 10 Downtime Days.

Story Award. Well At least you Tried. You are a survivor of the Woolgathering Tidsoptimist disaster. You tried to bring critical supplies to Mulmaster despite the calamity around you. The starving people of the Zhent Ghetto remember you and erect a small memorial honoring you and the rest of the ill-fated crew.

Magic Item. Gauntlets of Ogre power. These are embossed with the Jolly Roger skull and crossbones.

I had a very weak group of three. Simon Nogard Eldritch knight 4. Sea Breeze Ranger 3 with snake and pseudodragon. Patch McAdams Cleric 3.

Captain Volkov, “You are here for various reasons. My main job is to get the supplies, food, and seeds to Mulmaster. Your main job is….”

Simon Nogard, “To protect you Captain.”

Captain Volkov, “Whatever floats your boat but as I was saying. Your main job is….”

Sea Breeze, “Discover if the Leviathan is real.”

Captain Volkov, “Whatever floats your boat but as I was saying. Your main job is….”

Patch McAdams, “To Protect the Mr. Alashana Ravonich.”

Captain Volkov, “Whatever floats your boat but as I was saying. Your main job is TO OBEY FREAKING ORDERS. BOSUN where is the rest of the volunteers?”

Bosun Owin Smallfoot a shorter than normal halting, “Not present sir. It seems Calixto the cook forgot the nightly night drops last night, so we couldn’t Waterdeep a crew.”

Simon Nogard, “Um Waterdeep is a city not a crew.”

Bosun Owin Smallfoot reaches up and grabs Simon by the ear and brings the ear down to whisper in it. Simon body follows. “Waterdeep. Verb. To obtain a crew by drugging them.”

Captain Volkov, “Enough chit chat. Sea Breeze Post yourself by the navigator.” Sea Breeze looks confused. “The person holding the big wheel thing.” He stares at the other two, “You two up to the crow nest with Owin!” Owin and Simon make it up to crow nest. After three failed attempts to climb the rigging, Patch is sent to help the navigator and the half sea elf Sea Breeze is send to the rigging.

Dalyar Wavestalker, “Man fetch me a cup of coffee from the galley.”

Patch, “I am actually a gnome.” The moon elf glares at him.

Dalyar Wavestalker, “Whatever floats your boat but actually I don’t care. Move it.”

Patch means the galley cook Calixto. Cal is nice and gives Patch some sea sickness potion. And the cup of coffee in a travel mug labeled Waterdeep. Patch wonders to himself why if the cook has been in the galley since the ship left port why is hair and feet wet.

The storm gets worse. The sails are mostly reefed by the party. The small swim Patch and Simon took was fun but not refreshing. The beast master is proud of his snake and his swim speed. As they try to get some sleep, they are roused out their sleep as the rudder fails. The storm is at hurricane two levels. The sea elf only gets trapped in the bilge six plus times. But the rudder is fixed. Patch and Sea Breeze notice the rudder workings and rudder rope had be tampered with. Patch mentions the fact that Calixto hair was wet. The Captain discovers one set of the cook’s clothing is missing and brigs the cook. (I glossed over this in the game.) While this is happening the foremast snaps. The Navigator and one crew man are swept away. The ship drops anchor.

As they have gotten used to nearly being bounce out the hammocks, sleep comes not to soon but deep. So deep the pseudodragon has to bite his friend Sea Breeze on the ear to wake him. Pirates have board the ship. After a brief fight six pirates are dead. The pirate long ship has drifted away. But the party are on guard protecting their people.

Suddenly the Leviathan attacks. The group hacks up two tentacles but the damage is done. This is The Last Voyage of the Woolgathering Tidsoptimist, not the second to last. The party and remaining crew takes to life boats. The ship is going down when no one remembers if the cook was freed. The row boats are also taking on water. After two levels of exhaustion of fighting the elements, the group discovers the pirate’s long boat. The long boat crew surrenders due to being out numbered, (and box text don’t mention them). The group limps into Mulmaster later in the second day.

Notes. The ship is 60 by 220 with some decks being smaller. I would just replace the ship with one from Saltmarsh book. (Just because I have the ships cut out wood means nothing.) Some DCs are missing, but the dc is either 10 or 15 for other checks. Patch wondered once the cook sabotaged the ship, why he stated on board. The Big One (final battle) is worded badly. The Leviathan is a killer whale with various snakes as tentacles. The snakes are not a problem but the whale has a bite damage of 21. Also, once the pirates are on board; their ship Rancor floats away? And it is a perception check of 15 to spot it with no light. Fail the check and get the exhaustion. The module has enough going on. Mystery, Skill Checks, and combat so the dm can adapt to what the group enjoys.

 

[jasper]

DDAL00-11C Session

Phlegethos: I’ve Seen Fire and I’ve Seen Pain

Or

Whine with your Cheese

PC Killed 0 Monsters Killed 11 Villains Captured 1 Villains Escaped 0

Start Time 5:40 End Time 7:08 Run time was for 3 hours.

Story Award Ticket to Ride. You help Shirvasa the sommelier. You have a voucher to travel the gondolas within Abriymoch. Present to a gondolier and ride for free. And the devils give you more respect than Sirvasa’s associates.

Magic Items. Studded Leather Armour of Fire Resistance. Soul Coin. Potion of Fire breath 1 each. Scroll of Sending.

I had a weak group of four. Vani Boldleaf Monk 7. Tara Boandecay Rogue 4 monk 2 Bard 4. Horkil Sorcerer 10. Crash Thunder Tusk ranger 5.

Pipyap calls for his loyal private and puts an ad in the paper for adventurers. They meet behind the outhouse of Grub Hub. He is eating grubs while giving them the information. Shirvasa the sommelier who lives in Phlegethos owes him 2 bottles of wine. (forgot the prop wine aka seltzer water). He gives Vani some SPF 15 sun block and mumbles the address. He activates the cubic gate and they walk through. Vani askes for the address again. Pipyap’s answer is cut short as the gate closes.

They are in Phlegethos. It is hot. Very Hot. So hot the sun screen lotion melts instantly. To their left is a sea of lava. To their right is a bigger sea of lava. But Da Vinci the gondolier offers to poll them across for a 100 gp each. Oh. His mommy is sick so he does for 100 GP total. Except for the minor problem of the lavaworm trying to eat the monk, the trip was uneventful. (Total Time so far about 28 minutes.)

The party reach Abriymoch with only two problems. One no numbers on the buildings. Two while all the devils are honest. They don’t give straight answers. For example, the sommelier has death dog on the porch. (Ok if a logic puzzle. Which falls totally flat. 8 minutes later the group is looking to stuff me and the person working the puzzle into my small garage can. Players ask future dms to give some DC checks.)

The group arrives at the restaurant (and I don’t know why but I changed the story line. Which helped.) The hired help is not happy, they rude, they will not look people in the eye. And service is poor. Shirvasa arrives with a wine selection. (NO, He does not because the DM forgot to buy seltzer water for the wine.) Since Pipyap forgot to give the group the money for the wine. But if the group will go bust the union which is starting to organize, he will give them the wine and benefit. (The original story is cult busting.) Oh, one small detail. The captain of the union must be captured alive.

The group jumps on the chance. And has fun bluffing their way into the union hall Phlegethos Organized Workers. POWer to the people y’all. They still have met the union boss. How dare bone devils of POW defy the Teamsters. (Okay one player did mention a book on mob bosses, Jimmy Hoffa and the union.) Some whispers “Union busters”. Only Tara notice one door to union house opened by itself. The next time Drow Assassin Shyntinidia whispers, “Scab” the fight breaks out. The group is surprised as a Salamander joins in. But they break heads, take names, and capture Shyntinidia. They return to Shirvasa the sommelier. Get their wine and leave.

DM Notes. This is three hour module. But it read better than it played. Only one player was interested in the logic puzzle. It took me twenty minutes early in the week to solve by myself. Add some DCs to bypass the puzzle. The module just was not getting any traction until I changed gears to mob busting. The Destroy the Cult is too cliched.

 

[jasper]

DDAL00-11D Session

Malbolge: The Love Triangle Contract

20 vs 3 as in the players were roll nats 20s vs my 3.

Day 21-23

PC Killed 0 Monsters Killed 21 Villains Captured 1 Villains Escaped 2

Gain A level. 10 Downtime days. GP 3,000

Magic Item Moon Touched Sword. Sword which in darkness sheds moonlight, creating a bright light in 15-foot radius. Dim light for another 15 feet. Potion of Greater healing.

Infernal Spellbook. 1st false life, ray of sickness, witch bolt. 2nd Aganazzar’s scorcher, mind spike, shadow blade. 3rd Bestow Curse, Life Transference. 4th Sickening Radiance.

Story Award Mogdrin Escaped. The Demon escaped in the final combat so no full payment for you. You have a 50 GP gift card at the Crossing. Try the worm pie.

(Note since it been over 2 years since the last part of this series was ran. It ran a little clunky and had some dusting it off the shelf problems.)

I had a strong group of five. Mischief Wizard 10. Buzz artificer 8. Xarvius Hexblade warlock 10. Xasys Drunken Monk 10. Dorin Cleric 8.

Pipyap calls his privates into the squad room and gives them their orders. They will travel to Malbolge and meet with Moloch to pick up some clues about the missing cookie bag. (ARRGH Please authors quit using characters starting with the same letter. You are writing modules not fiction.) Walk down into valley to meet with their tour director Jeny Greenteeth. Also pick up some of things on his shopping list.

As the group leaves Mischief pulls out a scroll of teleport and teleports the group to tourist spot. For some reason this works without fail.

Mischief, “You boss says I have to give this shrimp fork. And hang up the phone. No one is remembering the season four modules. It 1498 in the Realms. Get with the time person.”

Jeny, “You are a very rude person. The shrimp Fork is important. And”.

Mischief, “Make with the portal thingy babe. You are wasting time.”

Jeny, “Ok. But watch your step. And beware of rocks fall everyone dies. Step through the portal.” They step through and rocks fall. But they are inside the cave and the rock slide did not seal them in. They are in the sixth layer of hell. It is very volcanic. Rock falls randomly out the sky. In the cave is their contact. An imp who is carrying a blood-soaked pillow with a brass skull.

Skull, “I am Moloch. Sorry I could not be here in person Pipyap. And Pipyap is not here in person either. Well, no matter. Privates of Pipyap. You will go forth through the freaky forest. To get to the Pit of Feirgbioff and free my tracker Mogdrin. Moggy knows how to track down the bag. Oops it looks like you privates are left doing the dirty skunk work of your superiors. Have fun in the pit.”

In the Freaky Forest, they kill some Hell Lice and farm their insides of Pipyap. Next to the sulfur lake both Mischief and Dorin are overcome by the fumes. The Evil spined devil Jalavillax tries to bargain them out other souls. But even with their six wisdom, six intelligence, and six charisma they are to smart and wise to fall for it. (DM No even with me giving the devil a +3 to his roll and they having a -2 to. Even with them rolling in low numbers. The devil dice rolled lower. I should have known the dice would hate me when during the opening combat, the first player rolls two Nat 20s on the first throw of the dice.) Mischief was able to talk Jalavillax out some potions. This completed the shopping list.

Finally arriving at the pit. It has a nice door on it. Which is locked. Buzz is having trouble with it so Mischief Knocks it opens. Seeing a Glabrezu just down the hall Mischief and Dorin charge. Setting off the acid traps. Just before the devil dies, he marks a hash mark on the floor. Exploring the level more they see a summon circle which they leave alone. And find Kazzinoth the copier being whipped by evil monks. Kazzinoth asks the group to go back and break the summoning circle. But they decide to him by killing the evil monks. This causes him to upset the ink ruining his copy.

Kazzinoth, “I was with in four words of making a perfect copy. For four thousand four hundred and forty-four years, I being trying to make a perfect copy of the Declaration of Intent to Sale Your Soul. Four thousand years. Four words to go. And my sentence would been over. I am going to kill you now.” One round and one banishing smite later, the devil is gone. And the key to the elevator is found. (Why I turned the pit into an elevator I don’t know.)

On the third level the door opens to the treasure room. A moon glowing sword is in a stone. Once Xarvius hears the advertising copy for claiming the sword he pulls the blade out. Which tricks all the gold pieces to attack. Xasys dashes to the north door to escape while the rest try the east door. Buzz, “I popped the lock. You guys pass thorough. Hey devil behind us. And one to the front of us. Rats.” Lucky as Xarvius enters the east room, the gold attack ends. Xarvius uses a banishing smite on the first devil while the group takes out the second devil. The two devil rooms were empty except for a summon circle which activated when the gold attack. Entering the north room, everyone but Xarvius gets interested in the various reading material which includes a spell book. (DM NOTE. Turn this into a trapped room because no one would fall for the trap otherwise.) Three hours later Xarvius is able to pull Martins Complete nine book collection of Game of Thrones out the other pcs hands. They have all gain at least three levels of exhaustion and the key to the next level.

On the next level they talked a dried-up old lady out of the elevator key with the promise of skin lotion. No mention was made of why she was buried alive.

On the final level they avoid another summon trap. But do find Moloch no Mogdrin (I swear if I find if modules can be edited in Abode, I just going to start naming villains one. Two. And Boss.). Mogdrin is trapped in a glass coffin. The lid of the coffin is a crystal maze and they can a miniature Mogdrin trying to find his way out.

“Cool Hey he going the wrong way. I going…” Buzz, Xarvius, and Xasys are all sucked into the maze as they touch the lid. Dorin being smart uses his wand to tap on the glass to show the way. (DM This maze is badly worded. Just use the Wisdom Save if your players don’t get the logic clue.)

Having freed Mogdrin, they talk to him about Pipyap and Moloch and the cookie bag. On the way out the pit they are ambush and Mogdrin sneaks away.

(DM Okay That didn’t happen we ran out of time. “

End of Session 390.

 

[jasper]

Three problems with the session. One I did read it well. Second one of our members is leaving the state and came over to say goodbye. So lots of pauses and not listening as everyone said their goodbyes. Third all of them were distracted by their phones for some reason.