Matthew's Out of the Abyss: Campaign thread

[Tyranthraxus]

I have an annoying habit of stopping posting these so Im hoping to start one up before I even start the game.

However this thread will be a mix between me musing what Im going to put in and what has happened

Ill be having 7 players probably as my default again so increase in monster number will be happening.

Session 1: A Welcome to Out of the Abyss type session. Im going to be looking over characters, taking notes and explaining how each character came to be in the Prison, as well as handing out scavenged items and explaining the other prisoners as well as the key Drow.

 

[Tyranthraxus]

So I had my first session last night.

I had 6 players after a few no shows:

1. Duergar Druid
2. Human Fighter
3. Human Warlock
4. Human Ranger
5. Drow Monk
6. Half Orc Barbarian.

What happened:

After explaining Out of the Abyss to the table, I re-iterated the rule re treasure and what could and could not be taken (primarily for the new guy playing the Human Ranger). I do this now a lot so its drilled in.

THen I started off the story with a twist. I had everyone roll a d10 and thats the day each character arrived at the Prison/outpost. Slowl but surely people arrived and were greated with a Ront welcome which involved some agression by the Orc. The Human Ranger arriving first managed to intimidate Ront to back off.. and in doing so became sorta the new Alpha.

I ran each day as an introduction to the site.. some people were milking the Giant Spiders, others cleaning shoes/repairs etc. People were finding a LOT of Gems.. it was weird. So many people were finding them.

After a while I stopped with the descriptive activites and just let people roll each day as they interacted with each other and the motley crew. People took a shine to Buppido even if he was a crazy Derro.

On one of the earlier days, the Shield Dwarf attempted to escape and was killed (I wanted the sizable cast whittle down right at the start). I counted down the days and let all the players make a final roll to find something nice. Sadly few did. That night at the shift change , Jorlan came and talked to the group about helping them escape. Not fully willing to trust a Drow, the part nonetheless decided to take him up on his help and he went about making sure the door was unlocked the next night.

This is where things went a bit pear shaped. The next night came around and the group started to discuss if they could trust him, if the door really was unlocked and so on. They analysed the situation again and again.

Ront decided to make a run for it and raced past all the party members to burst out of the front door and in doing so created a lot of noise which stirred the outpost into action. People quickly swore at him then at each other and raced after him and in the process ignoring the rest of the outpost (and thus their equipment and gold). They all dived down first into the webbing below and then through that into the pool of water. I did require some rolls to break past the webbing into the pool... and the Prince rolled a 1. I ruled he got stuck into the web and it kinda knocked the wind outta him. THe party is probably going to leave him behind however.

 

[Tyranthraxus]

Session 2:

I had the same group of adventurers as the session before. I mentioned previously that I had killed off Eldreth and Jimjar to show the party that the Drow were vicous. Eldreth had tried to help JimJar escaped and while Jimjar plummeted to his 'death' Eldreth was simply just killed.

THe party lept over the ledge through the webbing and into the stream. The Prince however got stuck and the Spiders quickly feasted on him. I made the area light up as the Drow quickly raced to activity after some waking up etc.

The party found a naked Drow floating in the water and later on worked out why. I used this moment to get an 'alive' Jimjar to pull one of the characters out of the Water. JimJar had survived his fall, but not without horrible injurry. His ar had broken and not set properly meanining it was not usuable. He quickly told them about how he had pushed a Drow off as he was jumping off and how the Drow had died in the fall. He had taken his armor and weapons (which is what I used as treasure but wasnt really capable of using them).

The party now decided to get out quickly. Ront attempt to assert his free authority but failed and was again intimidated into line. Topsy and Turvy decided to leave the party and head a different way.

The party set off through the tunnels (the rather large party) and we developed a 5ft marching order and a 10ft. I was playing Buppidos nice nature up and Buppido was literally picking up things he found and was willing to sell the party rocks and fungus from the walls (at a discount).

After several days of travel, the party came across an old Wood/iron door with orcs visible inside. A Shelter of sorts and after attempting to sneak by the orcs attacks. Taking down a character. The monk came into his own as he took out Orcs single handedly. In the end a party member was down but not dead and Ront proved himself somewhat (everyone still dislikes him). The party is heading for the Kuotoan city but still has 2.5 days to go.

 

[Tyranthraxus]

Sadly due to some players seeing this thread, Ive had to cancel putting on my descriptions. Unhappy players!

 

[Morlock]

Thanks for the write up. I usually find these interesting, as long as, like yours, they're focused on the action and not the PCs, NPCs, background, etc.

Ront decided to make a run for it and raced past all the party members to burst out of the front door and in doing so created a lot of noise which stirred the outpost into action.

I wouldn't have done this to my players. No need for him to act like a moron, if he wants to escape. (Really, wanting to go ahead and take advantage of the golden opportunity to escape while others look a gift horse in the mouth is a wise decision) I'd have him quietly and circumspectly leave, like any orc worth the name would do.

Sadly due to some players seeing this thread, Ive had to cancel putting on my descriptions. Unhappy players!

Doh! Don't leave your copy of OotA laying around, I guess. Do they know it can be theirs for a mere $25 online? Best not tell them.

 

[Tyranthraxus]

Yeah I know I wanted to continue to post reports, but My style is to use character names and actual events. Ive already had the spoiler police on to me.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

That's awesome that they made a jump for the pool below. I love that sort of crazy derring-do.

I think one of my players is around on here somewhere. I don’t really worry about spoilers, though – if they want to find out about the module, there are so many other opportunities to do so. And doing so only cheats them of the experience. We're I on the other side of the screen, I'd steer clear of any threads on Out of the Abyss (just like I don't look at threads for Adventurer's League sessions I haven't already played through).