2. The First Delve

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Khaboom
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Re: The Adventure Begins

#241 Post by Khaboom »

Biddle will examine the portraits, looking behind them too.

"Rather a shame not to have a butler myself," he chips in. "At my age, I'd hoped to have rather more behind me by now."

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#242 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Doughty attempts to neatly retrieve the gold threads from the ottoman and other furniture. Once done with that, he helps inspect the portaits, wondering if the ghoul bears any resemblance, and if there is any money squirreled away behind them.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#243 Post by ClockworkPoltergeist »

Digsby sighs and shakes his head. "We'll not be carrying that out any time soon. Best to leave it here and perhaps rescue it on the way back." Looking around, the diminutive sapper notices Biddle leave the room. "Best not separate the party," he murmurs and follows Biddle into the southern corridor. After entering the hallway, Digsby kneels down and does his best to assess the age of the blood track.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#244 Post by Khaboom »

"I say Digsby! No need to kneel in my presence! A joke, a joke! It's getting a little tense here, what? Have you found anything? Oh, and thanks for coming after me. I feel calmer already."

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#245 Post by Starbeard »

Day 1, Afternoon (turn 18, evening will commence in 1 turns)

Image

Doughty, his hands more used to kneading bread than darning textiles, finds it very difficult to remove the gold thread without ripping it. It seems he'll just have to take the ottoman (25 lbs) or leave it—though he could also just take the lid, which has the fancy gold-threaded upholstery (5 lbs).

The party congregates in the southern hallway that connects to the butler's dormitory. The blood stains are examined. They look relatively fresh: dried, but still sticky. The blood trail leads from one of the beds, torn and ripped apart, out the room and through the hall to the furniture room, generally to where the dead hobbits were found. Just inside the hall are a great many more blood stains, indicating a struggle involving multiple individuals.

Biddle examines the portraits of this strange dynasty of noble butlers. The pictures themselves are in bad repair and don't seem to hold any value. Behind one of them is a small wall safe, but it is already open and empty.

Actions?

Image

Frobozz Magic Map: https://campaignwiki.org/gridmapper.svg ... %26T%20PBP

Light sources: Digsby's lantern (burning 10/12 turns), Weeba's lantern (held by Doughty, burning 9/12 turns)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 10/12 LK 14 DEX 10 — Adds: +2/+2) CON: 11/11
Digsby Mudfoot, Halfling Gardener (War, ST 7 LK 12 DEX 15 — Adds: +1/+4) CON: 20/20 — war shovel 4+3, leather
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 8/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Spindlethrash, Halfling Ne'er-do-well (War, ST 5 LK 13 DEX 18 — Adds: +3/+9) CON: 32/32 — falchion 4+4
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 10/10 — elven sword 4+4, light bow & 20 arrows 2+0

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#246 Post by ClockworkPoltergeist »

"Well, lads," Digsby says, regaining his feet after examining the smears of blood, "I would say that it appears our comrades-in-spirit found a way in and surprised the ghoul in it's slumber. It dragged itself out to the hall where they battled resulting in the mess we found when we entered. I don't think there's anything else here for us." As he turns to regard the hallway entry, "Unless we can find the trigger to open the door from the outside. It's not the most pleasant of boltholes but the scent from the pyre will mask our scent and if the door trigger is less-than-obvious it'll be harder for someone to get in." With that, he exits to the hallway looking for a doorway trigger similar to the one he and Doughty found inside the ghouls lair. "I know it's here. That ghoul had to get in somehow..."

Luck SR: (LCK SR): (12)+[1d6] = 2+[1d6] = 3 => 17
Int SR: (INT SR): (11)+[1d6] = 3+[1d6] = 4 => 18

Maybe if he just starts hitting the wall with his shovel....

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#247 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Doughty rubs his smooth chin a moment, and then smiles. He takes a dagger and just cuts the fabric off the ottoman. Once done, he rolls it up and places it in his pack. We can separate the weave from the weft later.

Noting the blood is still tacky, he laments the time they spent sitting in the corridor in the darkness. We might've saved these lads, he muses. But what's done is done, my grandma'am always says. He goes to help Digsby search for a secret trigger from the hallway.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#248 Post by Starbeard »

Day 1, Evening (turn 1)

Image

Doughty and Digsby return to the hallway, searching around for another hidden panel to access the secret door. The rest of the party follows to stay with the light sources.

They poke, they prod, they smack the wall about with shovels. The sound of it echoes up and down the hallway. Clang! Clonk! Click! Ah, there it is! The hidden panel swings open on the south wall to reveal the familiar secret-door-opening pulley mechanism.

Just then, a scurrying sound from down the hall—northward?—interrupts their examination. The scurrying builds into the distinct squeaks and pitter-patters of rodents, backed by a soft rumbling hum almost, but not quite, like the distant rush of water. The noise of the scurrying rats rises and rises until it comes nearly to a roar, echoing loudly through the dungeon corridors!

Actions?

Image

Frobozz Magic Map: https://campaignwiki.org/gridmapper.svg ... %26T%20PBP

Light sources: Digsby's lantern (burning 11/12 turns), Weeba's lantern (held by Doughty, burning 10/12 turns)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 11/12 LK 14 DEX 10 — Adds: +2/+2) CON: 11/11
Digsby Mudfoot, Halfling Gardener (War, ST 7 LK 12 DEX 15 — Adds: +1/+4) CON: 20/20 — war shovel 4+3, leather
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 8/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Spindlethrash, Halfling Ne'er-do-well (War, ST 5 LK 13 DEX 18 — Adds: +3/+9) CON: 32/32 — falchion 4+4
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 10/10 — elven sword 4+4, light bow & 20 arrows 2+0

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#249 Post by coffee »

Weeba turns toward the sound of the oncoming rodents and has his sword ready.

"If they're running from something, they may just avoid us," he says. "But we may need to fight or flee what they're running from!"

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#250 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Or... adds Doughty helpfully, we could just go back into the secret room. He tugs on his companions, urging them to slip back into the room for safety.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#251 Post by ClockworkPoltergeist »

Digsby looks from Weeba to Doughty and nods, "A fight avoided is a victory won. That sounds too much like a rats fleeing from a flooding tunnel. There's no guarantee we can outrun the water's pace. I agree we use the secret room." With that, the diminutive gardener steps back into the hidden room and poises his hand over the locking mechanism.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#252 Post by coffee »

"Yeah, that sounds good," Weeba says, covering the party's retreat.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#253 Post by Starbeard »

Day 1, Evening (still turn 1)

Image

Everyone runs back into the secret chamber and seals the door shut. Moments pass, and the skittering roar builds louder and louder, until the very wall rattles! Shrieks and squeaks of countless giant vermin echo through the dungeon as they rush right past the secret entry!

As you wait for the flood of vermin to pass, a score of soggy giant rats come barreling into the room from the south passage, through the butler's dormitory! These ones must have separated from the main stampede and found their way in here. The twenty soaking giant rats look panicked and rabid.


Actions?

Image

Frobozz Magic Map: https://campaignwiki.org/gridmapper.svg ... %26T%20PBP

Light sources: Digsby's lantern (burning 11/12 turns), Weeba's lantern (held by Doughty, burning 10/12 turns)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 11/12 LK 14 DEX 10 — Adds: +2/+2) CON: 11/11
Digsby Mudfoot, Halfling Gardener (War, ST 7 LK 12 DEX 15 — Adds: +1/+4) CON: 20/20 — war shovel 4+3, leather
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 8/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Spindlethrash, Halfling Ne'er-do-well (War, ST 5 LK 13 DEX 18 — Adds: +3/+9) CON: 32/32 — falchion 4+4
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 10/10 — elven sword 4+4, light bow & 20 arrows 2+0

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#254 Post by coffee »

Weeba sets himself in front of the smaller members of the party and hacks at any rat that comes near him. (If they stay away, fine; he'll let those go.)

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#255 Post by ClockworkPoltergeist »

Digsby takes one look at the coarse-furred wave flowing towards them and curses, "Stones and Roots!" He quickly positions himself on the opposite side of the hobbit's flaming pyre snagging a loose furniture drape on the way. Hoping the fire and smoke keep the vermin at bay - or the scent of burning flesh turns out to be a decent distraction - the gardener hurriedly wraps and ties the sheet about the blade of his shovel. Once secured he shoves it quickly into the funeral pyre and sets it alight. "Quick, grab some flames!" he calls to his companions. Digsby readies himself to deliver a flaming-smite to any of the rats foolish enough to encroach upon their safety.

How large is a giant rat?

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#256 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

For the briefest moment, Doughty imagines himself wielding his new sword, bravely fending off the beasts. Then reality and self preservation kick in. He throws some food to a corner of the room that would allow the party to shuffle by the rats, out the door toward the butler's room. He laments building the pure for the dead halflings, thinking the rats would prefer fresher meat.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#257 Post by Starbeard »

Day 1, Evening (still turn 1)
ClockworkPoltergeist wrote:How large is a giant rat?
These giant rats are each about the size of a medium-sized dog.

Image

Doughty rummages through the top of his pack and tosses food through the exit to the southern corridor. The rats dodge the morsels, paying them no heed—what might in another situation entice their gluttonous tastebuds is now ignored in their state of fear and terror.
(3 rations are tossed, each needing a basic LK+DX saving roll to distract a number of rats—all failed, rolling 18, 14, 13)

Weeba furiously defends the party against the small stampede of rats. Bloody, wet tufts of mangy fur fly in all directions as his weapon sings through the air, but quickly the five rats begin to swarm over him, sinking tooth and nail into his flesh!
(He can block 1/4 of the stampede, treated as a separate duel: Weeba rolls 21 vs 23 and loses, taking 2 damage and dealing 1 spite damage for rolling a 6)

There are simply too many rats for Weeba to contain, and many of them drive on past him into the room. Some approach Digsby just as he wraps up his heavy excavation tool in cloth and sets it ablaze. The grizzled hobb swings his flaming weapon about and catches two of them broadside, tumbling them back into the wall with singed fur and broken bones!
(The rats appear scared of the fire, giving Digsby a bonus: he rolls 34 vs 23 and wins, dealing 11 damage and taking 1 damage in spite, which is soaked up by his leather suit)

The rest of the swarm runs down Spindlethrash, unheeding of the desperate cuts and thrusts of his falchion. The diminutive ne'er-do-well is overcome, and soon all that is seen of him are his arms and legs flailing wildly about a massive ball of moving rat-flesh!
(Spindlethrash rolls 27 vs 46 and loses, taking 19 damage and dealing 2 spite damage)

Actions?

Rolls… Image

Frobozz Magic Map: https://campaignwiki.org/gridmapper.svg ... %26T%20PBP

Light sources: Digsby's lantern (burning 11/12 turns), Weeba's lantern (held by Doughty, burning 10/12 turns)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 11/12 LK 14 DEX 10 — Adds: +2/+2) CON: 11/11
Digsby Mudfoot, Halfling Gardener (War, ST 7 LK 12 DEX 15 — Adds: +1/+4) CON: 20/20 — war shovel 4+3, leather
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 8/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Spindlethrash, Halfling Ne'er-do-well (War, ST 5 LK 13 DEX 18 — Adds: +3/+9) CON: 13/32 — falchion 4+4
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 8/10 — elven sword 4+4, light bow & 20 arrows 2+0

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#258 Post by coffee »

Keep fighting!

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#259 Post by ClockworkPoltergeist »

Digsby sees Spindlethrash disappear under a wave of vermin. "For the Shire!" he cries and delivers sweeping, flaming smites into the furry undulation.

(Warshovel) [1d6] = 2+[1d6] = 3+[1d6] = 5+[1d6] = 4(+3 adds) => 17
(Warshovel) [1d6] = 3+[1d6] = 2+[1d6] = 4+[1d6] = 5(+3 adds) => 17
Combat Total = 34!

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#260 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

At Digsby's call to arms, Doughty touches one of his torches to the pure and uses it as an weapons, prodding the giant rats away from himself and the others. But mostly from himself. He urges the others to try and get to the bunk room.

What do I roll here? I see it's 2d6, plus other stuff, minus my "add." Help?

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