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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 6145823" data-attributes="member: 16069">Let's Play #4 Goodman Games DCC54 Forges of the Mountain King (Level 1)Session 4.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40504969@N08/9097371768/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3802/9097371768_cb9cb0944c_c.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>Encounter #12 Doomgrinder Hall[sblock=The Map]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40504969@N08/8573227640/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8573227640_4efdfd980d_b.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a> The Octagonal chamber is in area 1-19A on the map (see below). <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40504969@N08/8573226778/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8383/8573226778_99ab203ef1_o.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>[/sblock]Ragnarr leads the others down the wide passage.“I wonder what…”CLANG!Suddenly dropping from the ceiling behind the dwarves is a huge stone roller, like a pillar on its side- embedded in the massive stone are scores of metal blades…ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!The roller, and therefore the blades, spin at an incredible speed- the entire thing lurches forward, heading for the adventurers.Bad Guys 700 XP Level 1 Encounter (7 PCs).Doomgrinder Trap Level 8 Elite Warder Trap[sblock=The Doomgrinder]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40504969@N08/8572132215/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8250/8572132215_7482de3bbe_o.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>[/sblock]“Sh…”And…“Fu…”Are the most popular reactions.The dwarves run as the great blades close in, Ragnarr is the first to the end of the passage, and ‘end’ is the correct phrase…[sblock=The Map]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40504969@N08/8573227640/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8573227640_4efdfd980d_b.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a> The passage ends spectacularly on the right hand side of the map (see below). <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40504969@N08/8573226872/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8526/8573226872_0bfc9d1b9f_o.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>[/sblock]Ragnarr teeters on the edge, Travok arrives just in time to skid to a halt and grab his friend, the passage exits in to a massive chamber, suddenly lights flare ahead- illuminating a central platform in the chamber- another platform beyond. At some time in the past this place would have been a marvel of dwarven engineering, now however it is broken- a ruin; nothing connects the three platforms, the stairs have fallen away.“What the…” Travok states.“Bummer!” Ragnarr adds.[sblock=The Stairs of Ruin]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40504969@N08/8572132029/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8522/8572132029_dfd9580f0c_o.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>[/sblock]The ceiling is shrouded in shadow, the floor below similarly obscured.Ragnarr looks behind him, the Doomgrinder, and his fellows are approaching at speed.“Nooooooooo!” The rogue screams, but it’s too late…Fenchurch runs past Ragnarr, and then leaps, lands on the central platform with ease, the bard tumbles to absorb the impact and comes up grinning. Koda does the same.Almost.The monk thumps in to the edge of the central platform and scrabbles furiously to stay on board- red-faced Koda screams like a little girl.Dave, who plays Koda, was very cocky prior to seeing his dice roll. “MOOOVE!”Tordek rushes full pelt and launches himself, and… lands in a heap on the central platform, the dwarf looks up battered and bruised- but grinning, pointedly at Koda.Grimm and Berend skid to a halt- then look behind them, the Doomgrinder is only fifteen or so feet away from them, it’ll be on them in seconds.“Jump!” Fenchurch encourages.Ragnarr is the first to react, the rogue however has his doubts- he scans the walls and the floor, and the ceiling, and the trap itself; unless he goes over it, involving another jump, then there’s no way past he can think of.“We have to jump.” Ragnarr plainly states- his three companions nod- all four take a step or two back, rush forward and launch themselves towards the central platform.Travok lands with style, Berend with panache, Grimm lands in a crumpled heap face first- but still grinning.Just to say this is a DC15 Athletics check.Ragnarr flies, all too briefly, misses the ledge by some distance, and plummets, but oh…The flailing rogue catches on to Koda’s foot- the monk sags, slips and is left holding on the ledge by one hand, Ragnarr scrabbling to climb the monk below.It gets to swearing very quickly.Fenchurch and Tordek are quickly to Koda, the monk is dragged up on to the ledge, Ragnarr who has alas ‘made his toilet’ is dragged up after.“Phew that was close!” Ragnarr grins.It’s at this point the first deathjumper spider lands.On Tordek.The fighter is smashed prone beneath the beast, bitten and injected with poison that causes his limbs to suddenly feel like lumps of lead- he’s Slowed.The second spider smashes in to Travok, the third Fenchurch, the fourth Berend- each of the dwarves suffer a similar fate, the only exception is Travok , the paladin is left bloodied for good measure when the giant arachnid tears a huge chunk from his flesh.Bad Guys 1400 XP Level 5 Encounter (7 PCs).Doomgrinder Trap Level 8 Elite Warder TrapDeathjump Spider Level 4 Skirmisher x4[sblock=The Monster Manual]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40504969@N08/8664830795/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8264/8664830795_bf8c07e15c_o.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /></a>[/sblock]Ragnarr launches his Clever Strike, and when that misses he tries again (Action Point), with no success. Fenchurch throws off the poison’s affect but not before feeling its initial sting, he stabs the spider with his Guiding Strike, and manages to get to his feet.The spiders attack again, although only Berend is bitten again- the ranger however is now bloodied.The first three spider’s attack rolls were all below ‘6’ unadjusted, the one that rolled the ‘6’ needed a ‘7’ to hit- the dice mock me at times.Koda Opens the Gate of… oh, no he doesn’t, the spider lurches back and the monk is to his feet, his attack wasted.Travok shakes the poison off, but not before the burn leaves him bloodied, his Divine Pursuit stabs the arachnid, and he too is back on his feet.Grimm swears his Oath and then with a Whirlwind Charge smashes in to a spider (with a critical hit), the arachnid is left bloodied.Tordek also throws off the poison’s affect, he gets to his feet and slices with Steel Serpent Strike- the bloodied spider is to quick however.Berend staggers (he’son 8 hit points), gets his Second Wind and then stabs with his longswords, a Twin Fang Strike at the spider- both hit and the arachnid is bloodied, the ranger gets to his feet. The ranger throws the poison off.Ragnarr’s Clever Strike comes again, rips through one of the arachnid’s legs, the creature skitters- leaking yellow gunk, wanting to be away.Fenchurch finds some space and issues a Staggering Note, one of the arachnids scurries but is otherwise unaffected.The spiders surge, they all bite back, they all hit their prey- Tordek (9 hit points left), Travok (1 hit point left), Berend (7 hit points left) and Ragnarr (now bloodied) are all bitten and poisoned again.Koda goes chop-socky crazy with a double Dancing Cobra, and double Flurry attacks- all four attacks hit and smash one of the arachnids (for 35 damage in total), the spider is left staggering, tottering on the edge of the platform (on 2 hit points).Travok collapses, he’s dying- poison in his veins (-4 hit points).Grimm’s Focussed Fury is not enough to see the second spider off, the creature however is left bruised and bleeding.Tordek gets his Second Wind and then with a Weapon Master’s Menace smashes an arachnid and sends it sailing off the platform. He also shakes off the poison. Berend’s longswords come again, but both miss this time- the ranger tries again with a Marauder’s Rush and clatters in to an arachnid, it too spirals off the ledge. The poison within his body is neutralised.Ragnarr shakes off the posion also, gets his Second Wind but misses with his dagger. Fenchurch’s Staggering Note launches the third arachnid off the ledge- his Majestic Words likewise cause Travok to stir.The bard pays the price, the last arachnid leaps and Death from Above, crunches in Fenchurch- biting deep and sending him sprawling beneath the beast, poisoned, bloodied and in peril (Fenchurch is on 5 hit points).Travok gingerly gets to his feet, throws off the poison and gets his Second Wind.Koda flails with her fists, Berend skitters back and launches a Twin Strike with Javelins, Grimm applies his Oath and then a Focussed Fury, Tordek smashes- the last arachnid is left bloodied, although only the avenger’s and the paladin’s attacks make their mark.Ragnarr skurries behind the beast and delivers a Torturous Strike, and the last arachnid flops off the platform and crashes down below.1400 XP Level 5 Encounter (7 PCs).Doomgrinder Trap Level 8 Elite WarderDeathjump Spider Level 4 Skirmisher x4The dwarves sit tight on the central platform, breath hard and don’t say anything for a good while.Eventually Koda breaks the silence.“How do we get back?”The silence returns for a good while.Fifteen minutes later, secured with ropes, Ragnarr and Koda are sent exploring, the monk crosses easily to the final ledge. The rogue however comes a cropper when a section of the stairs he is standing on falls away and he swings back towards the central platform, and specifically the pillar that holds it up- like a pendulum.The rogue is battered and bruised; he’s hauled back up- second time he makes it over to the far ledge.Comment: Just fantastic, nice pictures to help the players, a terrible trap leading to a life-or-death (of close to) leap, and then the spiders arrive. That’s the thing with this scenario quite a lot of the time the players are certain they are fighting for their lives.</blockquote>

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