I SHOULD HAVE CAST LIGHT: And Other Lessons From the 4th Level of Hell

Couldn't help making a book cover for the campaign using
the King story that in part inspired Nightwick, Rose Red

Finished our 76th Session of Nightwick Abbey and that session was a bad one. Well "bad" only in the sense that the party did not get much done, gained no treasure, and almost died. Almost. Its good because the Abbey re-established itself as a threat. Its good because narrowly avoiding a TPK made things tense.

What makes it a good "bad" game, well at least from my perspective I felt like with this session I ignored everything I have learned from my previous 75 sessions of delving Nightwick. And as a result, risked a TPK. Here is what I did wrong with Mayfly:

• Lack of basic equipment accounting makes for poor trap management: We've transfered from a VTT to Figma-a virtual white-board. This has been great because it decreased prep time for our DM, Miranda, and made it more likely that game would happen.
  
  But this has caused me to not transfer over some of that stuff to my new sheet. Stupid. Because in our 76th-session we encountered a trap that would have be disabled with 10ft poles, 50' of rope, and sacks. This trap came back to haunt us.
  
  
• Not talking first leads to fights you don't need to have: This one really gets me. I am a big fan of talking to things in dungeons. It is often interesting as a player and interesting as a DM. Sure maybe cutting deals with dark forces is a bad idea, but it makes for exciting gameplay. Not what Mayfly did this time.
  
  The minute two demons introduced themselves- Fireball. Now true one introduced themselves "The Bane of Mothers" and "The Eater of Children" so such a crazy reaction, but...eh... maybe should have given them a few more minutes. They were also immune to fire and Web burst into flames.
  
  However, Mayfly is high INT (can cast Fireball), but low WIS (doesn't always judge the best time)- so this really was on point.
  
  Now the setup orientation looks like this: Demons-Best Fighter-Paralyzing Trap-Rest of the Party. Bad. We escaped due to a well-cast Fog but due to the trap our best fighter was uncontrollably sobbing due to understanding the sins of all mankind.
  
  
• When threats are unknown, assume maximal threats: I have two general spell memorization strategies ✤ for Mayfly (well three as I have one for overland travel) which are:
• Attack Target: Fireball (3), Fireball (3), Web (2), Protection from Evil (1), Light (1)
• Level Recon: Fireball (3), Web (2), ESP, (2), Protection from Evil (1), Charm Person (1), Sleep (1)
  
  What happened here is that I chose the "recon program" without really understanding the threats of Level 4 very well. Which caused Mayfly to not have additional damage heavy hitters. But even so, I might try running more with Lighting Bolt because that will help with fire-immune creatures.
  
  
• Light is still GOAT and a still underappreciated offensive spell: With a now magic-sword controlled fighter (yup, gotta be wary about magic weapons with egos when you are feeling down), the party decides to keep going. We run into 5 "Bleeding Knights". Our sword-possessed charges ahead and the party rushes to form a skirmish line. 
  
  Ulf fires off a Light spell and blinds one knight (in BX you can't attack if blinded✤✤). Mayfly follows up with the single Light scroll he has from 20 sessions ago-- blinding another. Ulf is able to blind another. Then our magic sword friend gains purchase and begins slicing through them
  
  Next time, prep Light at least once. Best twice.

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✤ In Miranda's Nightwick Campaign, Magic-Users use spell points instead of slots. So the spell level is how many points it costs to cast. I like this system because it still constrains spell choice but allows some high-level spells to be cast a lower levels-- which fits into my view of how to conform old-school play to modern environments (see also here and at All Dead Generations).

✤✤ Even if the Metzer interpretation of Light is used (-6 to-hit and -4 to saves instead of blind) it is still a good bargain and strong against 4+ HD enemies.