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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 7054550" data-attributes="member: 6696971">B/XThe PC would be an Elf.  The setup, principles, and procedures would be a bit different as below:1) So I would have mapped probably 3 dungeons (this one included) at the outset.  They each would have been stocked with puzzles, monsters, traps, denizens, adornments, and other interesting stuff/obstacles.  My dungeon key would tell me where everything is.  The players would have scouted and then picked one during the town phase.  The setting and theme of the dungeon would be untouched.  Hobgoblin trading outpost cut into a mountain.  The residents would be hunted by alien-like creatures.  How the PCs got separated would likely have been different.  Rather than a crevasse in the frozen glacial wasteland, maybe the Elf fell through a chute in another part of the complex.  That is how he got into the basement.  And here we are!2)  The PC would almost surely be Lawful.  The Hobgoblins and Goblins wouldn't share an Alignment Language with him (they're Chaotic), but given his high Int and Elfdom, he would almost surely have both Hogboblin and Goblin as a language.  As an Elf, he's able to see 60 ft in the dark and has Infravision.  That would change things quite a bit.  He'd also have 2 1st level spells and 1 2nd.  He'd probably have Charm, Sleep, and Mirror Image.  1, 2 on Secret Doors/Listen.  Obviously he would be both Mapper and Caller for this period of play.3)  So the PC would have won his stock battle with the denizens of the hobgoblin complex's refuse basement.  That would have been a stock encounter after the chute/pit he fell down (thus separating him from the party).  Its likely that he would have needed to expend his Mirror Image spell to do so.  He then cautiously made his way up the ascending path that leads out of the chamber.  This might have been 2 Turns of Exploration.  With one of his Exploration Turns being spent to try to perceive sounds of what is happening in the corridors above him, he would have needed to roll a 1 or 2 on his d6.  Looks like he rolled a 1 or a 2.  Maybe another Exploration turn was spent searching for Secret Doors or special things (likely not), which would have mean he would have failed to detect them (if there were any).  I would have checked for Wandering Monsters once or twice (depending on the frequency of this area on my key) and rolled my dice.  4)  Its most likely that:a)  The Aboleth Fledgeling (hereafter AF) OMNOMNOMing the two goblins was a stock encounter and...b)  The little goblin coming around the corner was the result of a rolled 1 on the second of those two Wandering Monster checks.  It looks like I would have then rolled probably a 2 (for 2 minutes) on my 1d4 for when he arrives.5)  When the player declared the little wall-straddling move (wouldn't have torch in mouth because of his Elf vision in B/X) while he draws his bow, I would have either adjudicated that one of two ways; it would have either affected the surprise roll of the encounter or I would have had him roll 1d6 and give him surprise on a 1...or I would have just given the AF a penalty to surprise and the PC a bonus. I would have gone with the latter.  So 1-3 for the AF and 1 alone for the Elf.  He and I roll our 1d6 for Surprise.  He doesn't get a 1.  I get a 1-3.  My Monster is Surprised so the PC wins Initiative and acts first.6) The PC lets loose his Missile Attack and rolls his damage.  Obviously not enough to kill my Monster, but (a) this is the first time its been hit and (b) it probably was reduced to 1/4 (or less of its HPs).  Both of these call for a Morale check.  Given that both of these have occurred, I would have given the AF a -1 penalty (maybe another -1 because it just fed...why does it need to get into deadly combat?).  I roll my 2d6 and it exceeds the AF's Morale.The AF flees when it acts (now).  However, we don't have to consult Pursuit and Evasion because it obviously has a special ability to meld into cracks in the stone.7) The PC, sufficiently concerned by the creature's changing of the situation (maybe feeling of going from hunter to hunted), urgently canvasses the room for any other topographical points of ingress and egress.  This would have been the beginning of an Exploration Turn.  However...Now my prior WM check of the goblin comes into play.  He sees the grisly scene before him (which possibly indicts the PC for the 2 goblin gargagemen deaths?.  Maybe he also sees the familiar pink goo trail of the AF and knows that this thing killed his friends and is likely lurking.  The next bit of business would have been resolved in a myriad of ways.  I wouldn't have had my little goblins have the standard B/X Morale of 7ish.  They're shaken, they're mere laborers, they're cowardly.  I would probably give them maybe something as low as a 3-4.  At 2 and he won't fight at all.  Given the circumstances, I'd give him a -2 penalty to put him into the "auto-flee" zone.  First I have to roll 2d6 for Monster Reaction and figure out how my goblin responds.  Any result that comes up as Attack and I'd automatically flee.  Now this PC has a 13 Cha so +1 to MR.  That means I can't get a 2 (auto-attack) on my MR unless there is a penalty of some kind for character actions.  Maybe I roll a 3-5 (Possible attack, but check again after an exchange).So maybe the player says his Elf puts his hands up/out (with sword still in hand) and says (in goblin, so that helps) "I DID NOT DO THIS! LET ME HELP!"  So he speaks the cowardly goblin's tongue, clarifies the situation, offers to help, yet still has weapon in hand.  Maybe I give him a +1 for this next roll for a total of +2 with his Cha.  On the "Possible Attack" sub-table, a 2-8 is "Attack" (Flee in this case due to Morale).  I roll a 2-8 for MR and off the little cowardly goblin goes!  The PC pursues.8)  Evasion and Pursuit time.  The goblin is slower than the Elf (75 % his speed), but he knows these corridors while the Elf does not (so a situational bonus).  Instead of mapping things out in Exploration Turns, we're just zooming by decision-points and descriptors (should there be some).  Maybe a few rounds later and we're at another stock encounter.  I rule that the PC has successfully Pursued and caught the goblin, but with a bit of a cost.  He's made it to his other buddies in this "glue-factory" section of the dungeon map.9) The PC catches the little goblin, but not before they emerge into the next room with a couple more goblins. Just like in DW, the PC could basically just run the little goblin through if he'd like (1-1 HD equals mook). Obviously, this choice creates the tension of pragmatism versus his Lawful Alignment.  If he runs him through, I'm not going to even bother with an MR roll.  Its straight to fighting or fleeing.  The PC, being Lawful has a basic respect for life and said he could help before.  He'll try to keep his promise.  The PC decides to Parley and I let him act to see if we have some kind of positive modifier.  He speaks their language, he doesn't kill the vulnerable goblin, but he leaves a threat hanging in the air with his words. Ok, I give him a +1 on top of his +1. I roll my 2d6 +2 and consult the MR table. I get a 9.  So "Possibly Friendly" and roll again after an exchange.  So they listen while he quickly diffuses the situation, explains what is going on, and says how he can help.  Alright, I'll give him a +2 on top of his +1 for this follow-up.  We consult the "PF sub-table".  I roll a 6 or more.  So Friendly!I reveal the backstory (the Dungeon Theme) that implies that this "Aliens" thing isn't something that has just emerged right at this moment.  So this is clearly a situation that is haunting the compound.Things proceed from there.</blockquote>

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