Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 3815704" data-attributes="member: 16069">Dungeon Crawl Classics #11 The Dragonfiend Pact For 2nd Level CharactersTurn 32: The Road is Long.Newt scrambles over to Ala, in a rush, eager to obey the fallen Paladin, checks her pulse “She’s alright, just out-for-the-count.”Cas stands up, an almighty effort, he’s a mess, covered in his own blood, he wavers for a second and then quickly falls back down again, “Ow”, the Paladin laughs, searches for a healing vial.Bec sinks to his knees, again, out of breath- exhausted, Jim staggers over and leans on him, there’s not much keeping him up either.“We rest.” Cas giggles, a chorus of pops as healing potions are simultaneously uncorked signals agreement.DM’s interlude- the players at this point were wandering back and forth to the fridge, sometimes, actually most times, returning empty handed- the general consensus went a little like this, “bloody hell that was close.”“Well, it can’t get any worse.” Nobody looks at Newt, Cas continues to guffaw.“What’s so funny?” The Gnome enquires.“Honestly?” The Paladin levers himself up a little, his muscles protest, vehemently, he rubs his still battered leg- trying to get some life into it, then continues, “Honestly, I’ve no idea. Except… Woo Hoo, we did it.” The Paladin chuckles contentedly.Newt shrugs and heads off to Anya who’s sitting on the floor in silence.“What’s he so happy about?” He whispers.Anya squints at the Gnome, “being alive?”Newt it seems still doesn’t get the joke.Half-an-hour later and they’re all back on their feet, there wounds have gone, as has almost all of their healing.“We really need to go to the Church now, or rather later.” Ala confirms.“She’s right- everyone that’s been bitten or clawed by that monster”, Cas points at the Werebadger’s corpse, which has now transformed into a naked, and immensely ugly, looking man- with innumerable rents and gashes “could be infected.”“With what?” Newt asks.“Lycanthropy, it’s a curse as much as a disease turns the victim into one of those.”They all turn to stare.Newt checks himself for scratches or bites- there’s not a mark on him.“Damn.”He whispers, and then a little louder.“I hate being small.”Cas sums up the situation.“So, we finish this, then go back to the Church of Pelor.”The others nod, except for Newt, where’s Newt?“Hey, secret stash.”Newt stops, what’s he saying, he’s found and opened a hidden compartment in the chamber, and there inside has discovered a pair of beautifully cut emeralds, and now, now he’s telling everyone about it.Newt’s going soft.Five minutes later they’ve stripped Tarn’s body and recovered anything that’s worth taking, and is small enough for them to carry- which includes a ring that detects as magical.Anya unfurls the map, has a look around, and then gingerly points to another tunnel.“That way.”They trudge on.Fifteen minutes later, with only a couple of brief stoppages- squeaks and far off sounds that further warrant caution, but prove not to be dangerous.The adventurers emerge into yet another large cavern, this one lit by sprays of phosphorescent fungi clinging to the walls and ceiling, which bathe the chamber in an eerie blue light. A slow moving stream bisects the cavern, the water crystal clear and not very deep.Unless you’re really small.Oh hang on.Three moss covered, and therefore slippery, stepping-stones signal the way across.“Wait.”Newt perches on the bank- watches.FWUNGA large Cave Trout flashes and shimmers out of sight.“He won’t be back in a hurry. And if he is then it’ll be fish for supper, and breakfast, and lunch, and probably supper again… did you see the size of that thing?”Cas nods and claps the Gnome on the shoulder.“Now who’s first?”Newt shakes off Cas’ hand, grins up at the Paladin, turns and measures out twelve paces backwards, grins again and then launches himself helter-skelter at the river.“NEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWT.”A collective response.SPROINGNewt clears the water by five feet or more. Quickly turns, polishing his magical ring, he unfurls a rope.“Here catch this.”Newt throws it over; Cas catches the end as the others grin.Five minutes later a makeshift crossing place has been created, a harness, and a simple pulley system will hopefully ensure safe passage.It works well.Until it comes to Ala.“I’m not very good at this, I always…”SPLOOSH“ALLLAAAAAAA.”Cas screams.Bec hauls and Ala appears back at the surface of the stream, she clambers up a slick moss stepping stone.Behind a silver flash in the water, the Cave Trout launches itself out of the stream, and directly at Ala- it’s obviously very hungry.SPLOOOOSHIt falls well short.Bec heaves and drags a bruised and battered Ala across the stream.The Elf briefly lies on the bank, coughs and splutters a bit, and then through her grin mutters.“I think I’m getting the hang of this.”She laughs.“This way.”Anya points again to another tunnel, she’s all business.They head on.And ten minutes later.There’s a larger chamber ahead, and…“There’s something coming.”Newt dodges back as the tunnel ahead is engulfed in shadow.CLICK-CLICK.Anya steps forward.“FLAME ON.”A fan of fire engulfs the Giant Worker Ant ahead, all that’s left when the flames subside are the charred stumps of the creatures legs still sticking up, that and a slick crumbling charcoal.“I hate picnics.”Jim mutters.“Quickly.”Cas waves them on and they dart into another chamber.There are three exits to the west, and another, on the far side, the cavern floor is littered with piles of rubble, the gaster (back bit) of another Giant Worker Ant disappears into a tunnel to the west.“Which way?” Cas whispers.Anya fumbles her map.“Err… Straight over.”“Run.”And they do, or at least the best they can on the loose stones and rubble.“To the rear.” Cas whispers at Jim and Bec.They’re in the vanguard, and three-quarters of the way across when another Giant Worker Ant emerges from one of the other tunnels, tastes the air.CLICK-CLACKAnd then heads on over.But by this time they’re in the far tunnel.“Safe.”Ala breaths again.Just as the second Giant Worker Ant enters the tunnel behind them and scurries forward to attack.“Now.”Cas, Jim and Bec charge into the creature.Cas dances forward with his longsword, lances out, only to be knocked away by a flailing leg, the Giant Worker Ant is easily as tall as him, and three times as long. Bec however sees his opening and slices and severs the flailing leg, the Ant staggers, attempts to circle away from the three attackers but instead ends up facing Jim, he crashes his battle axe into the creatures head, it collapses.They head off at a rush, eager to put some distance between themselves and the Giant Ant’s nest.And yet, another fifteen minutes later, they’ve still not reached the next chamber indicated on Anya’s map, although… strange, there are a number of bobbing lights approaching.“Another party?” Jim asks.“What of miniature adventurers like us?”Newt taps his head in disgust.“I hadn’t thought of that.”Ala is watching the lights intently, they’re closer still.“I think they’re Fire Beetles- no problem, oh hang on. Damn.”The Goodman Gang get ready for another fracas.Next Turn: Choker in the pack.</blockquote>

Verification