Murdicog's Manse Session 9: Li'l 30 Done Dirty
Players: Bekhtar Ziphar, Hero (Shy Owl), Osric III of Shophalbelath (EvilTables), Grappadora Hamaques (Jay_zer0), Xaldun of Portage Town (roguewithwhimsy), Prole Beanfeast (Kwall), Buster Jortsman (mistuh)
Summary
In the time since the last expedition, Ziphar recuperated, Osric advertised for an apprentice thief, Grappadora threw a raucous party (now well-known by the locals as a convivial fellow indeed) and dispatched a letter to the Olfactorists in Xoth-umbra, Osric engaged in banditry, and Buster practiced petty magic.
Once again, an expedition set out for Murdicog's Manse to find doors for the four color-coded keys plundered from Hannibal Brompp's chambers. Again, they entered via the secluded side entrance on level 1.
They proceeded rapidly to Level 2, encountering 7 Koboulds on the way. Grappadora's batrachian viol was again adequate to placate them.
On Level 2, they likewise beat a direct path to the staircase that Diomedes the Minotaur descended last session. 8 fearsome and disciplined Orcs blocked their path.
Two Orcs were slain in melee, and the rest dispatched with Buster's Spell of Somnolence. Prole cast Ensorcel Person at the same time, so one charmed Orc (named Legionnaire 5997, but dubbed "Lil 30" by Grappadora) was spared while the others were killed.
Lil 30's grasp of Zurthine was poor, but he was able to direct the party on a quick route toward level 5.
On the way through level 3, they were ambushed by 8 Koboulds (3 killed), and fought with a pair of Ghouls before an idol of YGSÐÐ. Both Ghouls were killed, but one managed to paralyze Bekhtar Ziphar. For the remainder of the expedition, Ziphar would be carried by his hireling, Peanut.
Just past the Ghouls, was the staircase to level 4. This led to a damp, chilly level. On the way to the next staircase, Lil 30, Peanut, and Grappadora fell down a pit trap, but were able to pull themselves back up and resume their journey.
Once on level 5, the party realized they were back at Hannibal Brompp's old smoking room. Though somewhat anti-climactic, the realization locked in the mappers' understanding of each floor's relative location.
With little time left, the adventurers tried proceeding psouth from Brompp's old room. Here, four terrified Rhizome plantfolk fled past them, pursued by a Giant 5-eyed Lagomorph. Osric, ever a friend to plants, leapt forward to challenge the hungry beast. After a brief struggle, the Lagomorph was killed by Lil 30's shorsword thrust to the neck, but in its dying moments it bit Lil 30's head clean off!
Dismayed by the horrific death of their Ensorceled ally, the party used the Lagomorph's corpse to distract the Dinicthys and exited the manse via the stream running through Level 4.
Aftermath
Treasure Found: None
Foes Encountered: 8 Orcs (7 slain, 1 ensorceled), 7 Koboulds (placated with music), 8 Koboulds (3 slain), 2 Ghouls (slain), Giant 5-eyed Lagomorph (slain)
Rumors: None of note.
Deaths: Legionnaire 5997, a.k.a. "Lil 30", Orc
XP Awarded: Base award of 1,450 XP, modified by level.
Notes
- Ruling: informal mail/couriers services cost the equivalent of hiring a treasure porter for the entire round-trip journey. Routes are calculated along safe roads & trails.
- Ruling: Ghoul paralysis resolution stolen from Owl's REDUX campaign: effects last 1d6 weeks, after which a save is rolled. On failure, another 1d6 weeks etc. I may revise this to reflect something more thematically appropriate to undead energy drain.
- Rolling open-doors checks is still a pain point, partly because I put too many god-damn doors on Level 1. I found that rolling them myself (3 checks at once, then marking off a turn) is a lot easier that badgering players to roll in the chat. Even so, I'm adding a crowbar (4-in-6 open door odds) to the equipment list.
- I'm working on a formalized reputation tracker now that Grappadora has spent two weeks carousing. It will be simple, but will track rep with towns and factions, and specify benefits to different levels, e.g. free/cheaper hirelings, ability to evade legal repercussions, etc.