A bit of fun I had w/my players recently. The PCs (including a bard and their Drow NPC ally) went to the Drow city of Jorg-ia in disguise planning on infiltrating the city. Unbeknownst to them, the drow inhabitants (specifically the House of the Rising Sun, in charge of perimeter defense) were using Devil guards to augment their demon allies, because of the devils' true sight and lawful alignment. The devils liked the deal because the Drow allowed them to take the occassional soul back to hell w/them.
Anyway, as the PCs approached the gate, I described the scene: There was a devil w/a group of demons in the courtyard manning the table where new arrivals were processed, as well as a few tables of foodstuffs, some chickens, an old drow woman w/a pack of dogs. The nearby underdark hills were ablaze from a vast fire raging. There was a tree stump just next to the new arrival station.
Now, the devil in charge of this gate was a fiddle player of some reknown as it turns out. When the PCs were near the front of the line, the devil saw thru the PCs' disguise but also spotted the fiddle on the bard's back.
At this point, the players are all fully immersed in the adventure, and suspect nothing of what is to follow bwahahahaha..........Now I play the youtube video for the first few lines of the song:
The Devil went down to Jorg-ia (hired by the Drow). He was lookin' for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind. He was willing to make a deal
When he came across this young man sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot.
And the Devil jumped upon a hickory stump (the aforementioned stump) and said "Boy, let me tell you what."
"I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player, too.
And if you'd care to take a dare I'll make a bet with you.
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the Devil his due.
I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul 'cause I think I'm better than you."
Now I enjoyed a "gotcha" moment w/my players (none of them saw this coming lol).
The PC's drow ally NPC informed the bard that the fiddle of gold was the highest level pass into the city, and advised him that there was a Drow named Johnny that was known as the best fiddle player in the Underdark, and that perhaps he should claim to be him. So the Bard's player, knowing the song and playing along, offered the following:
"My name's Johnny (a lie, but the devil had never seen him before), and it might be a sin,
But I'll take your bet; and you're gonna regret 'cause I'm the best there's ever been."
So the match was on. One of the other players offered the following words of encouragement to the Bard:
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard.
'Cause Hell's broke loose in Jorg-ia and the Devil deals the cards.
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold (the pass key to the city),
But if you lose the devil gets your soul....
Then the devil began the competition:
The Devil opened up his case and he said, "I'll start this show."
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow.
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss.
And a band of demons (the aforementioned demons standing next to him) joined in and it sounded something like this: (musical interlude)
The devil rolled his performance check, an 11+7=18.....When the Devil finished, Johnny said, "Well, you're pretty good ol' son, But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it's done."
"Fire on the Mountain.(the aforementioned fire in the hills)" Run, boys, run!
The Devil's in the house of the rising sun (the Drow house in charge of perimeter defense);
Chicken's in the bread pan picking out dough (from the food tables).
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no (is she lying? they sure look like guard dogs...).
(musical interlude)
The bard (aka Johnny) rolled a 14+10=24 for his performance check (I gave him ADV because the Drow were demoralized re the fire).....Alas, the winner was clear.....The Devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat.
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at the bard's (aka Johnny's) feet.
The bard (aka Johnny) said, "Devil, just come on back. If you ever wanna try again,
I done told you once—you son of a b___—I'm the best that's ever been."
And he played on.....
The PC's thereby succeeeded in their mission to get into the Drow city, despite the devil guards, thanks to the excellent fiddle playing of the bard (who now walks w/a bit more swag).
Anyway, as the PCs approached the gate, I described the scene: There was a devil w/a group of demons in the courtyard manning the table where new arrivals were processed, as well as a few tables of foodstuffs, some chickens, an old drow woman w/a pack of dogs. The nearby underdark hills were ablaze from a vast fire raging. There was a tree stump just next to the new arrival station.
Now, the devil in charge of this gate was a fiddle player of some reknown as it turns out. When the PCs were near the front of the line, the devil saw thru the PCs' disguise but also spotted the fiddle on the bard's back.
At this point, the players are all fully immersed in the adventure, and suspect nothing of what is to follow bwahahahaha..........Now I play the youtube video for the first few lines of the song:
The Devil went down to Jorg-ia (hired by the Drow). He was lookin' for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind. He was willing to make a deal
When he came across this young man sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot.
And the Devil jumped upon a hickory stump (the aforementioned stump) and said "Boy, let me tell you what."
"I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player, too.
And if you'd care to take a dare I'll make a bet with you.
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the Devil his due.
I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul 'cause I think I'm better than you."
Now I enjoyed a "gotcha" moment w/my players (none of them saw this coming lol).
The PC's drow ally NPC informed the bard that the fiddle of gold was the highest level pass into the city, and advised him that there was a Drow named Johnny that was known as the best fiddle player in the Underdark, and that perhaps he should claim to be him. So the Bard's player, knowing the song and playing along, offered the following:
"My name's Johnny (a lie, but the devil had never seen him before), and it might be a sin,
But I'll take your bet; and you're gonna regret 'cause I'm the best there's ever been."
So the match was on. One of the other players offered the following words of encouragement to the Bard:
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard.
'Cause Hell's broke loose in Jorg-ia and the Devil deals the cards.
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold (the pass key to the city),
But if you lose the devil gets your soul....
Then the devil began the competition:
The Devil opened up his case and he said, "I'll start this show."
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow.
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss.
And a band of demons (the aforementioned demons standing next to him) joined in and it sounded something like this: (musical interlude)
The devil rolled his performance check, an 11+7=18.....When the Devil finished, Johnny said, "Well, you're pretty good ol' son, But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it's done."
"Fire on the Mountain.(the aforementioned fire in the hills)" Run, boys, run!
The Devil's in the house of the rising sun (the Drow house in charge of perimeter defense);
Chicken's in the bread pan picking out dough (from the food tables).
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no (is she lying? they sure look like guard dogs...).
(musical interlude)
The bard (aka Johnny) rolled a 14+10=24 for his performance check (I gave him ADV because the Drow were demoralized re the fire).....Alas, the winner was clear.....The Devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat.
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at the bard's (aka Johnny's) feet.
The bard (aka Johnny) said, "Devil, just come on back. If you ever wanna try again,
I done told you once—you son of a b___—I'm the best that's ever been."
And he played on.....
The PC's thereby succeeeded in their mission to get into the Drow city, despite the devil guards, thanks to the excellent fiddle playing of the bard (who now walks w/a bit more swag).
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, there would have been a battle the PCs could not hope to win, though they may have managed to retreat. If they were defeated and captured, I have a "Captured" scenario always ready for the next step....
