2. The First Delve

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Starbeard
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Re: The Adventure Begins

#81 Post by Starbeard »

Day 1, Afternoon (turn 1, round 5)

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Digsby and Biddle prod their weapons through the crack in the door in desperation, nicking the half-orc with blade and fire, weakening his resolve!
(Digsby rolls 2+1 and gets 3,4—with flame I'm allowing the 'berserk' rule to kick in if doubles are rolled; Biddle rolls 2-3 and gets 3,4. These hit point totals will deduct from the enemy's MR as though they were ranged attacks.)

Doughty continues to struggle with the door, very nearly losing the handle in his sweaty pint-sized grip. Garrick and Weeba rush up to help; one of them grabs hold of the halfling and pulls him like an anchored rope—Doughty wonders if his very arms will yank free of their sockets—and the other throws the heavy board across the door braces.
(Weeba/Garrick will be represented by whoever has the better 'MR' of LK+ST+DX. Rolls: Doughty's 'MR' 27 rolled 5,6,6—almost a 'berserk' trigger from rolling triples, but not quite!; Weeba/Garrick's 'MR' of 40 rolls 3,4,5,5,6; the half-orc's 'MR' of 73 (it lost a point from spite last round) rolls 1,4,5,5,5,6,6. The adventurers win the tug-of-war with 74 hit points vs 63!)

The half-orcs are now locked out in the foyer. They jostle the door to no avail, and then begin to bang and hack at the heavy wood of the door; their weapons are clearly not very well suited for the work of cutting through, but with their overpowering strength they are bound to succeed eventually.

As a sword continues to hack away one of them calls out in broken Common, "Little hoomans, why you zap us with puny spells, znort? It not nice! Now come out, you in our house! We is not hurt you. Just crush the ugly wizard, him we not like! Znort!"

Actions?

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Light sources: Digsby's torch (burning for 6 turns), Doughty's torch (on ground, burning for 5 turns)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 4/12 LK 14 DEX 10 — Adds: -3/-3) CON: 11/11
Digsby Mudfoot, Halfling Gardener (War, ST 7 LK 12 DEX 15 — Adds: +1/+4) CON: 20
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 4/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 9/10

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#82 Post by Khaboom »

Do they mean me? Perhaps we can invite them in for a truce - talk things over in a civilised way.
Maybe I could hypnotise them into liking us. What do you say, comrades?

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#83 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Well I would like my knives back. And it isn't me they're mad at... Doughty weighs his options. Finally, he calls out. Okay! That sounds fine! Put up your weapons and we will unbar the door. But it's gonna take time. You two battered the door good!

When it gets quiet, Doughty scratches on the door to to make it sound like he is working on it. What's down the hall? he whispers to Digsby and Weeba.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#84 Post by coffee »

There's a room, Weeba whispers back. Might be their home.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#85 Post by ClockworkPoltergeist »

"There's another passage on the far side of the room," Digsby adds, "It might be a way out. Either way, we can't stay here." He thinks for a moment, "As soon as we can, we should begin mapping out or route so we don't get lost." He pulls a piece of chalk out of his pouch and sketches a crude shovel glyph on the wall next to the door. "It's not a map but at least we'll know we came through this door if we get turned around. We better get moving."

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#86 Post by Starbeard »

Day 1, Afternoon (turn 2)

Image

The chopping stops for a moment, being replaced by a profound silence. "…Okay, we wait! But yoo hurry it on up. We not wait all day, znort!"

As Doughty fiddles disingenuously with the door, the half-orc tries to keep conversation. "Hey yoo ugly wizard! Yoo want us boil or fry you? We is pretty good at both."

Meanwhile, after Digsby marks the doorway he leads other members of the party into the room.

They enter the 50x30 room from the northeast corner and look around, observing the makeshift bedding and camping gear scattered about. A closed door without a lock rests in the north wall, and a northward passage leads out of the northwestern corner. Unfortunately, those who explore the passage quickly discover that it is nothing more than a dead end thirty feet back, where it appears the half-orcs were content to do their bowel business. The latrine passage smells so foul it makes the eyes water.

Actions?

Image

Light sources: Digsby's torch (burning for 7 turns), Doughty's torch (on ground, burning for 6 turns)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 5/12 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
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 4/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 9/10

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#87 Post by coffee »

Check out the door. Listen, first, then see if it opens.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#88 Post by Khaboom »

Oh, I have something much more savoury in mind - my mother told me I would be better marinaded first. Have a think about what you might use and then get back to us. Think carefully - don't rush it. That would be an absolute waste! We'll give you 10 minutes. You start counting from 1 and go all the way up to 600 but make sure you put the words "woolly mastodon" between each number to ge the right pace. I'll start you off - 1, woolly mastodon, 2, woolly mastodon, 3...

Biddle joins the others and shrugs apologetically.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#89 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Well fellas, looks like there's nothing for it but to fight them orcsies. They don't know about Weeba and Digsby's. I can go back and let 'em through. Lead them back into this room.
I'll say Biddle is cowering. You jump 'em when they enter. Unless you've a better plan.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#90 Post by ClockworkPoltergeist »

Digsby listens and nods, "It's as sound a plan as I can think of. Make them fight at a time and place of our choosing," He indicates the closed door with a gesture, "Let's take a gander behind the door if we can. It might provide other options, though we should be careful of crossbow traps." He ponders for a few, "If that doesn't work out, I have another idea. How about stringing a tripwire across the end of the hallway here. I have some twine that could work if we can find a way to anchor it. Then we gather up some of this flammable garbage in here, drop it a few feet into the tunnel to one side, douse it with lamp oil if anyone has some, and when Doughty heads out to open the door we can light it. That should give us a good smokescreen to cover us and the tripwire. With a bit of luck they'll not see the tripwire making it all the more easy to dispatch them." The gardener looks around at the others to gauge their reaction.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#91 Post by Starbeard »

Day 1, Afternoon (still turn 2)

Image

Biddle Spratt rambles on at the half-orcs as only he can. His would-be devourer becomes slightly confused and begins to count with him: "four-woolly mastodons, five-woolly mastodons, six-woolly mastodons…", and on up. The wizard successfully slips away into the back room.

The party continues to explore the room while debating how best to engage with the half-orcs (Digsby's plan is easily and quickly implemented if you have the materials: there is plenty of heavy refuse that can be used to anchor the twine, as well as old rags and trash that will produce a thick and caustic smoke if set alight with oil, 50% chance if no oil is used).

Weeba Zortz, brave and fearless, examines the door in the northern wall closely. He listens and hears nothing beyond. Nudging the door open reveals a room beyond, forty feet across and thirty feet back. No other doors are seen.

This room is very peculiar, and perhaps suggests why the half-orcs were so keen to attack the party. At the very center of the room, at chest height, are two heavily laden bags resting at either end of a precariously balanced beam. Beneath the beam is a large hole that drops straight into a beautiful and mesmerizing field of stars. The beam teeters back and forth with every movement in the room, threatening to topple its contents into the starry void. Against the far wall someone has scratched a lengthy paragraph of writing, in some harsh-looking language no one in the party can read.

Actions?

Image

Light sources: Digsby's torch (burning for 7 turns), Doughty's torch (on ground, burning for 6 turns)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 5/12 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
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 4/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 9/10

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#92 Post by coffee »

How close does the edge of the hole get to the end of the beam? Like, could you stand on the floor and reach one of the bags? And have someone at the other end grab the other one at the same time?

I seem to be missing something.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#93 Post by Starbeard »

Looking more closely you see that the balance beam is almost like a set of scales, hanging from the ceiling. A long iron rod suspends down from the ceiling, and at the bottom it hooks upward and is soldered to a flat baseplate. The wooden beam is balanced on the plate, with each bag resting on the very ends of the beam. The effect is something like this, only slightly less precarious:



The beam is just close enough that you could touch it with a sword or stick.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#94 Post by Khaboom »

I wonder if that is orcish? Maybe they could read it?

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#95 Post by ClockworkPoltergeist »

Digsby peeks into the room after Weeba manages to open the door. "Huh, that's odd," Shrugging at the puzzle, "Perhaps later when we don't have orcs, or whatever they are, chopping the other door down." The gardener pulls the ball of twine from his bag and sets about anchoring it across the mouth of the hallway at a height suitable to trip the average human. He keeps an eye out for any useful bits-and-bobs as he scours the debris for suitable anchoring materials. Never know what could come in useful later... he thinks. Once completed to his satisfaction Digsby moves on to gathering a pile of flammables and carefully positions it on one side of the hallway on the other side of the trip wire. "Ok, all we need is a little lamp oil and it'll produce a nice thick smoke to obscure the trip wire." He looks about hopefully.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#96 Post by Starbeard »

Day 1, Afternoon (turn 3, combat round 1)

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Digsby returns to the hall and set up a trap with twine. He scours through the room looking for bits and bobs, and in the process of tipping over a basket comes face to face with a dirt-ridden halfling, dressed in the characteristic leather straps and neck-shackle of a pleasure slave, and snoring quite loudly. The halfling starts awake, and the group helps to protect his modesty by rifling through the pile of trash for his clothes. The halfling then heads straight for a hidden stash his masters had kept and retrieves a dirk and a dose of curare poison, pocketing both. He also breaks off an iron-reinforced leg from a useless chair which will do nicely as a club.
(Everyone, please welcome sirravd to the game!)

There is plenty that can serve as a good anchor and tying post for the twine: the broken chair, a large rock of no particular value, a curious anvil that seems to have been used for sitting more than hammering. The party hauls the anvil over and uses it to tie off the trap.

Weeba Zortz is the only one with oil. He produces a flask from his pack and soaks the pile of rags and detritus in the hall.
(-1 oil flask)

Biddle muses over the unreadable gibberish on the wall, wondering if it is in orcish. Suddenly the words come alive and begin to crawl across the wall! No, wait—the words are not moving at all, the wall is moving! It slides open with the sound of grinding sandstone, and one of the large half-orcs stands menacingly in the secret doorway.
"Ha-har, we catch yoo now, ugly wizard! I am pretty smart and trap all yoo treasure thieves!" He grins evilly from across the room, eyes red with bloodlust.

Actions?

Image

Light sources: Digsby's torch (burning for 8 turns), Doughty's torch (on ground, burning for 7 turns)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 6/12 LK 14 DEX 10 — Adds: -1/-1) CON: 11/11
Digsby Mudfoot, Halfling Gardener (War, ST 7 LK 12 DEX 15 — Adds: +1/+4) CON: 20
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 4/16
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
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 9/10

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#97 Post by Khaboom »

Biddle puts his hands on his hips and cocks an eyebrow at the half-orc.

"Do you know what time it is?" He frowns sternly. "You are past your bedtime, laddie! You're eyelids are growing heavy, you feel very sleepy. Here is a good place to rest. Look deeply into my eyes - you can see all your best dreams waiting for you. Watch my hand as it leads you to the Land of Nod..."
He continues the hypnotism, exerting years of expereience into the act.

May I suggest a talent, as used in 7.5 rules and Deluxe? It would be based on INT with a bonus set by the roll of 1d6. A talent per level is proscribed but I prefer one on creation and then a new one (or a boost to an old one) on level rises - that way, it's not just a matter of elves, dwarves, etc getting more talents because of modifiers.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#98 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Wait a minute. Are you hypnotizing Starbeard, as your character is hypnotizing a half-orc!? :P

Doughty, who is halfway down the hallway, pauses. He is about to say something, but holds his tongue as Biddle's ruse unfolds.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#99 Post by coffee »

Weeba moves up near Biddle, acting as if he too is becoming hypnotized. He has his sword to hand, though, and if it looks like the half-orc isn't falling for it, he's ready to fight.

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Re: The Adventure Begins

#100 Post by Khaboom »

Biddle incorporates Weeba into his endeavour without breaking stride.

Maybe our GM will fall under the seductive influence too :geek:

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