Maure Castle game session 2

Two Fridays ago we had our second session of the new Maure Castle campaign but I forgot to write what happened on it.

This session one of the players couldn't be present due to a flu-like feeling, but we managed everything for him to play via Skype. Everyone wanted to see his new character, Kamar the Kensai, in action and it wasn't going to be the same without him playing it. An now into the action...

The party decided not to try to get past the red Guardian Shield and headed back to the stairs that lead to the "Chambers of Antiquities". While passing through the massive chamber of the columns of faces and symbols, they were attacked by a maurid roper. Kamar and Inowe were surprised by the camouflaged creature, but Denar and Quinath reacted quickly enough, casting magic missle and spiritual weapon (the first passed the SR, the second didn't), before the monster lashed its tentacles to them. The tentacles grabbed both Denar and Kamar who overcame its weakening touch, but missed Quinath and Inowe who quickly attacked the tentacles severing them. Kamar, now free, charged at the creature and landed a gruesome hit with his two-handed bastard sword. The creature, to everyone's astonishment, produced new tentacles to replace the severed ones and lashed all of them to Kamar, weakening him and rendering almost immobile. Denar atacked the creature, while Quinath and Inowe freed Kamar again, who concentrated and focused on his inner self (Power Surge) and landed another terrible blow on the maurid roper. After that hit the creature was doomed and was quickly defeated.

Everyone was gladly surprised by the kensai's abilities and carried on. After passing the gray Guardian Shield, going up some stairs and following a long empty corridor, a wide flight of stairs led them to a huge chamber lit by some torches that cast eerie shadows. (The players had a map of the place but didn't remember some details about some things that were annotated on it. And I didn`t refresh their memory either... I wanted to see how thing went.) Quinath decided to explore the "M" symbols engraved on the floor (they we actually Symbols Of ...) surrounded by bookshelves. Although he resisted the effects of the symbols, upon entering the area the rest of the party saw how the gargantuan iron seven-headed hydra, that was resting on an altar in the center of the chamber, animated itself and begun moving towards them!

The group promptly fled the chamber (under the cover of a fog cloud cast by Quinath) as the hydra closed in and reached the stairs but didn't followed them. They waited for some time before looking if the hydra was still there. And it was. Seeing this Denar decided to attack the iron construct with a wave of green slime. I ruled that the slime ate the hydra's metal legs but was destroyed when the incandescent belly of the construct touched it. Since the hydra didn't spot the cleric he was out of sight before it could attack back.

With the hydra unable to move Denar tried another attack on it. This time he went with a blade barrier, but the spell failed and this time the construct did saw him. One head shot a line of cold that hit the cleric taking away almost half of his hit poins and rendering him all numb. Then another head shot a bolt of lightning capturing the cleric in a cage of lightning that kept damaging him. Inowe tried to pull the lightning bars appart only to receive a discharge. She then decided to use her abundant step ability (dimension door) and succesfully freed Denar from his prision. After that the cleric proceeded tu heal himself.

We all enjoyed the session very much because it had a lot of action.

Until next session!

Great chance to stock up on books!

I just successfully used "FALLREADS" coupon on Lulu.com for 40% off (up to $20 max - until October 15, 2010) on "Stonehell Dungeon" by Michael Curtis, Fight On! #1 and "Original Edition Characters" by Goblinoid Games.

You can check the full list of Lulu.com coupon codes here.

Seeking advice

I must say I've always wanted to use the idol on the cover of the AD&D 1e Players Handbook in a campaign. The current sandbox campaign in Blackmoor provided me with the perfect excuse. I'm using a slightly modified version of The Hidden Serpent from Faster Monkey Games where the party is trying to recover a stolen statue (you can read Grognardia's review here).

So, as I commented here something may happen when the PCs try to take the ruby eyes from the idol's statue. It was something commented by Tamryn the thief but the group hasn't decided on the matter yet. They'll probably do so next session.

I'd like to ask my fellow gamers for ideas about what could happen if they remove those rubies...

Read An RPG Book in Public Week

Just a quick reminder that we're in the last "Read An RPG Book in Public Week" of the year. A curious event to promote the hobby.

Sandbox game session 4

Last session ended with Vanon the cleric separated from the rest of the party. After falling into the pool of water, the gray ooze moved to attack. As the cleric recovered from the fall and cast light on his flail, the ooze slammed and the acid begun to eat his armor. Vanon desperately attacked it and managed to kill it, but had to get rid of the armor before it reached his flesh.

Meanwhile the rest of the group were trying to figure out the ray-shooting statue. Tamryn the thief threw an open sack over the head of the staute and then lassoed a rope around it. Brom the ranger held the other end as Kratos the fighter used the rope as a guide while walking backwards towards the statue. Scarlett the illusionist just standed there coverring her eyes her back to the statue. Suddenly the floor gave in under Kratos but he managed to hold onto the rope and Brom resisted the sharp tug. There was a bright flash of light and two rays shot from the statue's head hit the fighter. After that he felt the floor again and everyone could see a black smudge under his feet. As the danger passed he reached the statue only to see its true for after touching it...

He described it to the rest and Tamryn suggested to try moving the horns. Since it was a good idea and I had nothing planned for the horns (just something really bad if the ruby eyes were removed?), I decided that one of the horns will deactivate the trap.

Kratos moved the right horn (deactivating the trap?) and it slowly went back to the original position. Then Tamryn said to move it again and tie it, keeping it down. So did Kratos (activating the trap again?) and when Tamryn approached the statue the whole thing went on again, but she managed to avoid falling and jammed the trap with a crowbar. They all then gathered around the idol and some explored it while others lowered a torch down the shaft with a rope.

Meanwhile Vanon was exploring the caverns: a passage ful of cobwebs, a passage that led to a cavern with stagmites and stalagtites and a passage with a chasm in the middle. He avoided the cobwebs, explored the cavern only to find it led nowhere, and decided to edge past the chasm. When he was inching his way he saw movement down the chasm and decided to fall back, but a tentacle lashed at him and caught his foot. Luckyly he saved vs. poison and didn't get paralyzed. He tried to no avail to cut the tentacle with the rim of his shield.

When the others yelled his name down the shaft and no response came, Tamryn decided to go down with another rope. The hanging torch illuminated the whole cavern so she was able to see the exit and also the glow from Vanon's ligh. She called for him and, as he cried for help, begun balancing back and forth. She jumped from the swinging rope reaching dry ground, only to see another tentacle grab Vanon and pull him down the chasm. Tamryn rushed to the chasm and saw Vanon desperately trying to resist the monster's pull. She loosed an arrow but missed and Vanon used a rope with a grappling hook to better resist the pull. She them unsheathed her scimitar and jumped onto the creature (behind the screen I ruled the attack as a backstabb) almost slashing its only eye. The creature released one tentacle from Vanon and lashed it at Tam, hitting and paralyzing her. Vanon tried to hit the creature with his flail with mixed luck while it pulled Tam into its mouth.

Up in the statue's room Brom, Kratos and Scarlett begun worrying about the fate of their friends and after no response came from calling their names, the ranger and fighter decided to climb down. In the chasm the creature started eating Tam while Vanon continued desperately to hit it. Upon hearing his name called again he yelled for help and Brom was the first to arrive driving an arrow deep into the creature. The creature released Tam (now in negative hit points) and lashed the tentacle at the ranger, grabbing but not affecting him with it poison.

Then arrived Kratos just as Brom resisted the pull from the creature that continued to munch Tam and pull Vanon. Kratos grabbed his bastard sword with both hands and jumped down the monster piercing it viciously deep and killing it. With the grip from the tentacle released Vanon stabilized Tam and waited for the effect of the poison to pass. As thy waited he searched around the many things around from past victims and undigested by the creature. He casted Detect Magic and found a suit of chainmail armor, a ring with elven inscriptions and a clear crystal wand. He also realized Kratos armor (a suit of plate armor taken from a bugbear last session) was also magical as well as Tam's cloak (also from the same bugbear). After the effects of the poison wore off Vanon cured Tam and they all went back to the pool cavern and climbed back up to the statue's room where Scarlett was almost sick with anguish.

At that point I told them the effects of fatigue were begining to be noticeable unless they rested properly, but it was their call. At that point we decided to call it a night and continue next session.