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ShortQuests -- Pocket Sized Adventures! An all-new collection of digest-sized D&D adventures designed for 1-2 game sessions.

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aluvial" data-source="post: 622212" data-attributes="member: 6862">Big Army Takes a Dive or Giant Lizard Blues?Well the party has made camp and managed to hunt down...((rolling dice)) a deer. So a big fire is made up and the army of nine (well eight, Xaod has been sleeping it off since the badgers), plus five creatures, and don’t forget the wagon (I think they’re going to name the damn thing), has managed to scare everything and everybody off for about a mile. Except for the two figures lurking in the dark just on opposite sides of the camp… The first guy is really quiet and kind of glides when he moves. He approaches the camp very quietly and even makes note of the owl flying about. He is careful to be VERY still when it passes over head. Of course, he knows that he won’t be spotted but he might be heard moving through the grass towards the camp… what are they talking about? Staying just outside the ring of light that the fire sheds, the man lies in the grass and watches for a moment…The second guy moves with a speed and a grace that is deceptive for his size. His cat like agility has kept him free from many a slashing claw (and dagger), and keeps him near silent. His skills at the hunt are his own little secret to keep. Not many look his way when he doesn’t want to be noticed. Yet when he wants to, he can charm even the most hostile of… wait… OK, an owl scouting around. I’ll just tuck myself into this niche and… yep, bird never saw me. Boy, these guys sure are loud… So the party blissfully unaware that grave danger has followed them and that a little hint both lie right outside of their sight. Until one of them gets up, figuring these to be the friendly bunch he saw in town. I think I'll just invite myself to dinner… “Who approaches our camp?! State your business here,” a cry comes from a man on the wagon. An elf by the look of him. A few other elves lurk about peering into the darkness trying to see who approaches. One of them has his bow drawn… “Just me, Del the Trapper here, yep just me.” “What do YOU want?” ((a little old 2nd Ed. paranoia kicking in here from Scottie/Stoneheart, the dwarven fighter.)) Del replies, “Just the warmth of your fire and a little bit of your company. It looks like you guys have company to spare.” So Del comes into camp while the shadowy figure lies in wait. He at first guts some squirrels he’s caught and puts on a spit and throws them in the fire. The party has completely surrounded him at this point but mainly to hear what the old coot has to say. He goes on and on and on about creatures in the woods, ankhegs, dire badgers, deer, great cats in the Gnarley, lynxes, a panther he once caught, back to squirrels and rabbits, men in ochre colored robes, lions, tigers, and bears, oh my…“Wait! Did you say men in ochre colored robes?”“Uh, yeah, anyway there are giant lizards and snakes and dead men walking about and spiders and”“WAIT! Did you say dead men walking and men in ochre robes?”And ‘Ol Crazy Del starts rambling on about what he has seen. Dead men shambling about in the moathouse, and groups of men in ochre colored robes nearby too. The party listens with interest and someone mentions the clerics that they saw in Verbobonc. Hmmm… And they chat a tad bit longer before Del packs up to go. “Well, thanks for the fire. I’ll be on my way. Got a shack in Hommlet and if I hurry I can get there by morning. Thanks for the company. Oh by the way did I mention the dragon I’ve seen flapping about? No, well you might want to watch out for that too. Haw, Haw, Haw!!” Del laughs with his two tooth smile. And he leaves, and the party misses both the hint and the death stalking about…So the rest of the night is uneventful, and the party wakes up and starts back for the moathouse. When they arrive they are pretty cavalier and again make TONS of noise. They tether the horses to the ground and Eli (Halfling thief) starts moving ahead, to search out the drawbridge. Meanwhile, in preparation for the expected undead, Zane (elf cleric of Correllon) casts an Invis to Undead spell on himself and two others (Stoneheart and Randelar I believe). Anyway, Eli the small halfling makes his way up the narrow path that leads to the drawbridge…And Spot and Listen checks and…Yes you see it in the water… No you can’t quite make it out. INITIATIVE please and… WHOOOSH!!! “EEEEEEeeeeeee,” Eli screams, and THUD, SSSLAPPP!!! Eli is suddenly sucked towards rows of sharp giant FROG teeth!! BWUH-HA-HA!! (DM not frog)And the game is on again but really not for long. The party manages to slay the beast before I can even attempt to swallow him. Stoneheart (the meek) actually takes a hack at it with his Dwarven Waraxe and slices the frog wide open. Eli manages a stab with a dagger and the others a few bow shots. One Dead Frog. ((Randelar, inspired by ‘Ol Del wants to chop off its legs for a meal…)) The unseen shadow looks on…The Journeymen now gather themselves and free Eli from the tongue. The stage as you know is set. The actors in this play very cautiously approach…First Eli, who immediately signals the others about the rust spot in the middle of the courtyard and the line rust (splattered?) up the steps on the far side. Is that a curved dagger lying there?? Eli steps very slowly ahead.Next come Zane and Stoneheart. They have the Invis to Undead still working and Zane is brandishing his Crescent Moon Holy Symbol. They head to the left and move up the west wall to rubble in the NW corner. Zane is leading.Randelar is next and he moves to the right and checks out the large arrow slit on the angled southern wall. He finds himself to be in a good spot soon.Next is Xaod. He stands just inside the doorway watching those steps…Admir and Redithidoor are next. Admir tells Redithidoor to keep his bow ready and to stay close. They follow Zane’s and Stoneheart’s path, hugging the wall and moving to the tower door in the SW corner…Talus (human Psi War) and Vexander (elf sorcerer/wizard/cleric) stand at the door on the moat side…Eli realizes that the rust is blood. He calls out to everyone what is up… Big U stirs… and peers out into the light of the courtyard. Hmmm… what’s this…? Zane, then Stoneheart work their way down the North wall heading towards the stairs. They are almost there…Eli has also approached but has hooked towards the East wall…Xaod moves forward and up the middle almost to the stairs. Clang, clang, clang…Talus steps just inside the doorway…*Is that a blue lizard coming out of the doo..?* Zane almost finishes thinking and then,ZZZZZZAAAAAPPPPPPP!!!!!!! Lightning over Zane and Stoneheart, lined up in a nice little row. Both save and yet take big damage. INITATIVE I call, and it stacks up like this:25 Eli17 Admir17 Stoneheart16 Vexander16 Utreshimon14 Redithidoor11 Xaod10 Talus7 Randelar5 Zane ROUND 1Eli moves and loads, he is hit by an AoO. 10 HPAdmir moves forward and shoots his bow, hits 2 HP Stoneheart gets out two potions. (yet can’t drink either, yet)Vex tries a spellcraft check to identify an illusion. Nope.DRAGON starts to hover and makes a full attack on Xaod, Ouch!! Xaod has 4 HP left. Redithidoor runs! In fact he runs for the whole battle and even tries to get away on the wagon!Xaod counters and hits. 16 HP’s (not bad for a dead man walking) Talus moves forward. He is very slow, switches weapons.Randelar in the face of the dust ducks into the arrow slit.Zane casts a spell and fails Concentration. No healing today!ROUND 2Eli shoots and moves further back. MissesAdmir shoots twice and missesStoneheart gives potion to Zane (free action) drink a potion of healing and pull another.Vex wants to use Magic Missile. Sorry can’t see. OK mage armor. Pulls back from door at the entrance.DRAGON regains breath and uses it on Xaod and Talus. Both save. Xaod dies.Talus moves forward to strike but misses in the dust.Randelar readies his bow.Zane drinks the potion and moves back.ROUND 3Eli shoots and hits! 3 HPAdmir tries to run for the stairs and hits dragon’s tail. Makes a Dex DC 17 to stay up and makes the top of the stairs and yells in Draconic (no kidding) “have at you, foul beast!!” Dragon hits with AoO!Stoneheart drinks a healing potion and pulls yet another… (Told you he was cautious)Vex holds ends up yelling at Redithidoor who is now turning the wagon around.DRAGON moves and lands on Admir pinning him to the ground. No damage. Dust will stop in one round. Utreshimon answers in Draconic, “Surrender your arms and you shall live!”Talus manages to hit. LUCKY, LUCKY, LUCKY 13 HPRandelar starts to approach but still has no target.Zane tries another spell and again fails Concentration.ROUND 4Eli loads and shoots his x-bow and hits for 8 HPAdmir is pinned. HA-HA-HA Tries opposed grapple. I repeat, HA-HA-HAStoneheart drinks final potion and draws his weapon.Vexander casts ??? No effect on battle.DRAGON holds actions and states in common, “SURRENDER YOUR ARMS AND I SHALL LET YOU LIVE!!” The dust cloud dies down.Talus strikes and hits for 13 more HP DRAGON Freaks. So I know that this wasn’t quite right but…DRAGON rakes at Admir with back claws and hits.DRAGON attacks very irritating man that keeps hitting (Talus) with Bite and Claws. One bite, one claw.DRAGON uses wing buffet (you should see the claws my mini has on its wings) at Stoneheart and Randelar, both hit!Randelar missesZane casts Bless (+1 to hit)ROUND 5Eli hits with x-bow. 2 HP Admir scrambles away down the stairsStoneheart attacks and hits for 7 HP Vexander casts Magic Missile and hits for 5 HPDRAGON (slightly out of turn and with 33 HP’s left) Breathes lightning for the very last time. A cone effect on Randelar, Talus, and Stoneheart. Randelar and Stoneheart fail there saves and die! Talus passes somehow (LUCKY, LUCKY, LUCKY) and some how survives (AGAIN, LUCKY, LUCKY, LUCKY)Talus powers up a psionic weapon strike and hit with a critical (LUCKY, LUCKY, LUCKY) and manages 31 HP of damage (LUCKY, LUCKY, LUCKY) Admir spins and shoots two arrows. Both HIT!!! DRAGON GOES DOWN!!!!Insert cheers of the crowd here…This of course was the end of the session. They managed to get to call to Redithidoor to stop the wagon and we wrapped up there. Next time: Dead Journeymen! Does Y’dey really care??? Moathouse exploration??? Who knows what they’ll do?? Nasty Death Stalking Cultist with a Polished Look?? We’ll see… Aluvial.</blockquote>

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