CRAWL OF THE WILD II: Super Cleric Bros. Session 8

 

We return to the cleric campaign! Previously the PCs had negotiated some blue mushrooms for the return of an obedientary's soul.

THE CALL OF THE WILD

The map outlines their travel in the very nice Beyond the Borderlands 'zine. It took them two game days to go from the Sea Witch's shell (hex 3,5) to a hex with blue mushrooms (hex 3,1) and back again.

DM Note: This session was interesting for me because there was not really anything that stood out in terms of big moments, but more small little bits each hex. I do think I need to work on refining the procedures that I want for these hexes. The nice thing is that Beyond the Borderlands provides aspects from weather to hunting. But still I need better refine how I present choices to the players.

PCs set off under sunny skies to pick some wild blue mushrooms.

* 3,5: Back through the raided merchant's caravan where they had a prior run-in with a slaad

* 2,3: The PCs meet Herbert the watcher from Stronglaw Keep who they met previously. They got some information about the noble hunting camp. And further strengthened their relationship and support if they go to Stronglaw Keep.

* 2,2: The PCs encounter fields and fields of berry bushes and strange holes. Wary, they decide to move quickly through and consume rations later.

* 3,2: The PCs make it to the hunting grounds of the nobility. No encounters here save for the baying of hounds and the blowing of horns. Again, they decide to keep moving

* 3,1: The clerics find a cave open where they can see the blue mushrooms in the fading light of the afternoon sun. 

THE CAVE OF THE BLUE MUSHROOM

The clerics can detect a nauseatingly sweet odor coming from the cave and while they can see them, they will have to at least walk 40-50ft into the interior of the cave.

DM NOTE: So I wasn't just going to let them saunter in, grab the 'shrooms, and leave. So I set the mushrooms back in the cave and made sure they needed to make CON checks to maintain consciousness in the cave. Also rolled for encounters.

The cleric's first plan was to send in their two followers, Dorn or Varoris, to collect the mushrooms. But the followers weren't convinced it was their place to complete this task [DM NOTE: Both failed their morale check; both clerics also have a -1 on that due to CHA scores].

The cleric's second plan is to get Dorn (sailor background) to tie a rope around Brother Cadfael and send him into the cave to fetch mushrooms. The first attempt is somewhat successful, 3/4 of the mushrooms recovered. So, once more into the breach. 

In the second attempt, Brother Cadfael is surprised by a giant wolf-bat who flattens him to the ground and lays on a vicious bite (dmg 6). Screaming out, Brother Phellius and Dorn pull him out of the cave entrance [DM Note: PC HD roll vs. Giant Wolf Bat HD roll].

The giant wolf bat keeps to the cave, afraid of the light. This gives Brother Phellius an idea to light a torch and grab a bottle of lamp oil. A strong initiative roll later, Phellius has driven back the wolf-bat and not completely ruined all the remaining mushrooms.

BACK TO WHERE THEY STARTED

The return trip to the Sea Witch is less eventful owning to good encounter rolls. The hand over the basket and the witch hands them one infernal iron coin with which 1/6th the man's soul is encased. 

"Wait, why do we only have 1/6th his soul instead of the full third?" asked Brother Cadfael

"Oh, well I used it to make a compass that would point to the owner's true desire, and its powered by a bit of soul to give it reach into the ethereal and astral. A noble from the hunting camp wanted it." Answered the Sea Witch

"And is that noble a narcissist so it only points to himself?" grumped Cadfael.

"Ha! That would be good dear, but poor business." chuckled the Sea Witch

The night closed with Brother Cadfael *promising* to speak well of the Witch and that elicited a "deal" from her lips. She let them once again sleep in her domain.

DM Note: This was a good move by the player because that is what the witch wants, but it will draw mild rebuke from their god.

And that is where I ended the session.

CRAWL OF THE WILD: Super Cleric Bros. Session 7

 

Previously...

A IS FOR ABBEY AND WE BEGIN THERE

Back in the confines of the Abbey, Brother Cadfael and Phelius have enjoyed their minor celebrity. The abbey has continued to prosper with the completion of the Ossuary and even the Obedientary have taken note that the two might be able to help them with problems of a more personal nature.

But first, some procedure:

Both previous follower's Lunell and Gersia have decided to stick around [DM Notes: I did not roll a "1" for either indicating they are leaving the abby]. And are joined by two additional followers, Follower Dorn of St. Ulther and Follower Varoris, elf, of St. Nemo [DM Note: I rolled a "1" and "6" on the Ossuary Table].

Obedient Radclyf is the first to implore the aid to the clerics given the loss of his soul ("Tricked!") to a sea witch. The reason wanting the love of a woman in Miller's Village. 

DM Note: I think it would be easy to make all the problems associated with some grand thing-- "sold my soul to save another"-- but that is not how humans work. Humans do really stupid things. Humans, I think, would do further stupid things if interacting with beings who can give power/manifest wants and have a longer life view.

So the clerics are off on a hexcrawl to visit the Sea Witch in the Slugy Bog using Alex Damaceno's Beyond the Borderlands. So the clerics prayed at the Reliquary to gain some small boons on top of their daily spell selections: +1 to the 2d6 turn undead roll and re-roll first save-throw.

ON THE ROAD

The distance is fairly condensed, so 1 hour any direction to the next hex or 2 hours if they cut through a hex with forest. Alex has set up Beyond very nicely because we have different regions with unique encounter tables, a system for weather and each hex has something going on. Here is what the clerics encountered on the way to the Sea Witch:

• Start off following the river NE to hopefully reach the bog
• Become lost in some woods, and exit into an open field with a large ostentatious sign pointing towards (1) Miller's Village and (2) the Hunting Camp. Also meet Herbet, a devote of the Lion of Light, who offers to help them out next time they visit the gatehouse at Stronglaw Keep.
• Back into the woods, they try to seek out the cries for help that echo through the forest only to come upon a gleaming sword stuck into a rock. Suspicious, Brother Cadfael casts Detect Evil and learns the sword does have an aura not wholly good [DM Note: The sword is chaotic]. Follow Dorn on the other hand is very interested in that sword.
• Find their way back to the bog and the lost merchant train. Forced to stay the night due to a storm. But no rest was had as a slaad barged into their camp hunting a walking fish. Surprising both sides and forcing a terse stand-off that ended in no bloodshed.
• Finally, the next day, after skirting an abnormally large group of baby dragonflies, the cleric arrives at a large 3-story house made from a single giant shell-- the Sea Witch!

The results of the above. 

AT THE SEA WITCHE'S SHELL

Grandmother is of course delighted to have two strapping Lions of Light come and visit! What could such devout indviduals with a simple broker of broken souls and information need?

The clerics arrive and announce themselves in proper manner. They ask that their two followers stay in the periphery and ensure they are not murdered. Follower Dorn, devotee of St. Uthler who tried to control the sea, finds this whole business silly and they should slay with witch. Follower Varoris feels the witch is a meer broker in the old legalities and its not surprising humans, with their short lives, are hasty with the specifics of such deals.

Tea is served. Brother Cadfael having prepared Purify Food & Drink immediately employs this spell on the tea. Grandmother is agast and forces the cleric to drink least they further insult her: "Well?...Not poisoned eh? You just took all the beautiful flavor out of it!"

Brother Cadfael attempt to beg parden based on a weak stomach and unsophistocated tongue. The Sea Witch comments that perhaps he'd like to bargain with both as payment since he is clearly in no need for either given their weak state.

Negotiations begin in earnest over Radclyf's soul. With a lot of back and forth and attempts a securing the exact terms of the deal, the clerics agree to collect some blue mushrooms the Sea Witch so desires. And in return, they will get back the amount of Radclyf's soul that the Sea Witch possesses.

DM Note: This was actually difficult to role-play as one of the players is IRL professionally trained in contracts. I tried to handle this by letting the player provide some fiction for how supernatural contracts are done, but then answer with a slight variation. As a way to imulate that a Sea Witch knows a bit more than a cleric in these matters.

The clerics make camp near the Sea Witch who agrees they will be safe that night.

PIOUS HANDS MAKE FOR GOOD KNUCKLE BONES: Super Cleric Bros. Session 5

 

A return to the cleric campaign! Previous sessions here.

Try to add DM Notes like this.

The current state of the Ossuary. Each result is the mechanical class (in-game fiction/flavor):

Ossuary Pilgram Table (roll 1d6)
1 | MU (magicians), St. Ulther
2 | Fighter (sailors), St. Ulther
3 | Fighter (fanatics), St. Serene
4 | Cleric (zealots), St. Serene
5 | none
6 | none

DM Notes: So when I rolled 3d6, I got a 5,5,6 (3 actual weeks have passed since we last played) which means that no pilgrims show up to the abbey this time. And I roll 1d6 for each current pilgrim to see if anyone has left on a 1 or 2. None do.

As it stands two MU followers of St. Ulther remain at the abbey ready to embark on any adventure the PCs might have for them. 

I just generate the followers using the Old School Essentials NPC generator here (also good for characters). And Oblate Samuel shaken from the death of his friend Leo, is back to being somewhat normal.

Brother Cadfael from the Cadfael series one
of the clerics takes their name from (I need to watch it)

The clerics' first decision is what spells they will pray for today. The Reliquary allows a little extra bonus when they pray to various portions of it provide they have placed recovered monks' items there. The portion they have powered allows them 1 save throw re-roll (The BENEFICENCE of AZLEN).

The second decision is to return once more to Dyson's Tower to retrieve a third saint for the Ossuary rounding it out, which will allow a lot of pilgrims, and very much in the Abbot's wishes, who they like.

DM Notes: Since IRL weeks had passed, I allowed the clerics to at least have a standard pack of starting supplies, so they made one last stop to rally both Follower Lunell and Gersia. And after a passioned plea, collected Oblate Samuel.

DM Notes: Also they accused the Prior of being an agent of Orcus. Since time has passed, gossip as spread. The Prior is not too happy. They want to get the hell out of town. 

At the Goblin Camp

The approach to the camp is pretty standard now, they prefer the entrance to the south in order to sneak past the goblin camp. The clerics' aim was to return to the 1st Level and perhaps recover one more saint they sure were buried in the area with St. Serene and Ulther. 

DM Note: Because this area is almost always the start, I think its just better to sorta procedurize it. The PCs just have to have one method of surpassing the goblins on watch and we just make one check. In the furture I might try to alter the weather or add a patrol-- just to switch it up so the PCs never have *perfect* information about what's going to happen. 

The trip back to this location except for a bizarre ankle-deep fog covering the ground. They scrounge the scene of their last battle and fine a set of chainmail and the door leading to hopefully the last saint. But it was not, instead it was a crypt full of skeletons seemingly dumped without proper rites and full of spite for the living. This time, my players remembered their clerics could turn undead and short work was made of these skeletons. With the use of holy water, they scrub the floor clean of the mark of Orcus.

DM Notes: Maybe should have made the skeletons a bit harder to turn since they were in the radius of a mark of Orcus, but whatever. The PCs felt the threat.

Level 2

This level too is familiar ground to the PCs. They decide to bust up a goblin dice game in an attempt to find some information about the location of human saints. Brother Phellius offers up his newly won chain mail and dices against the goblins-- winning. The clerics learn another goblin, Snakesplitter, is being held on some charge and maybe the PCs could take them off the goblins' hands since no-one likes him. They were also warned to watch their back.

After leaving, the PCs asked Follower Lunell to Hold Portal the door.

DM Notes: I need a better quick dice game for D&D other than roll 2d6 who gets the highest. I bet Nate Treme has one.

A turn later they find the hastily assembled baracade Snakesplitter is barracaded in, but the four goblin guard want 100 coin as a "transfer fee". The clerics, being pious men rich in virture, are broke. So Redcap offers to make some new gambling dice out of their knucklebones. A fight begins and ends in the third round when Redcap is beaten by a Brother Cadfael's mace and moral breaks. The remain goblins just make new gambling dice out of his knucklebones.

Snakesplitter offers to come with them simply for beating Redcap to death. And gives them sass about first trying to convert him to being a monk.

Level 3

Snakesplitter leads them down a different set of stairs to Level 3 than before. But before realizing what is happening they are suprised by an ambush/gang/thieves guild of robber flies! Snakesplitter avoids the on slaught as does Follower Gersia, but Follower Lunell, Brother Cadfael, and Brother Pheallius are on the defensive taking hits each. But its poor Oblate Samuel that met his fate-- natural 20 and 5 on the damage roll. Robber fly basically ripped his arm off.

DM Notes: This encounter suprised me with how brutal it was. Also, I think I need to have some standard layouts ready for battle. I really like having tactile set up with objectives and "terrain". But maybe since I have 2 players, I should just got more free form.

DM Notes: Also this is the 2nd Oblate who died. They are supposed to be wards of the Abbey, so someone might come looking for them-- 1:6 they were connected to someone at Stronglaw Keep. 

After a few Cure Light Wounds, Snakeplitter showed the clerics a clue to what they came for-- a statue of the Saint of Sleep.

And because the DM, me, forgot the sheet with the riddle and we were at our 2 hour limit, that was game for the night!

DM Notes: If you get anything from this, then I hope its the idea that a good game of D&D can be done in 2 hours. Not need to pull out 6, 8, or 10 hour sessions. It just requires density of choice to be high. And that is what is nice about this "mini-megadungeon" format.

SUPER CLERIC BROS: Session 3 & 4

AZLN the Lion of Light

More from the on-going cleric campaign started here.

SESSION THREE

The Abbot still pushing the completion of the Ossuary, but this time the PCs have the help of the wizard Lunell a pilgrim of St. Ulther who has agreed to join the adventurers out of duty to the patron saint. 

And so the two clerics, Cadfael & Phellius, set off with wizard Lunell and the Oblates Leo (bow) and Samuel (sword) to Dyson's Tower.

By mid-day, they had made it to the tower, where they took a wide birth to the southern cavern entrance. With no giant ferrets insight, they made their way up the narrow center tunnels that would lead them past the goblin guards, and at the beginning of the eastern crypts they wanted to explore again.

At the end of this narrow passageway/burrow was a pile of sleeping giant rats (Note: DM rolled a "7" on the encounter rxn roll). Cadfael whose background in animal handling was put to the test and found lacking. Combat began with Cadfael in the center of the giant rate circle and Phellius and the Oblates on the outside. Combat ended when Oblate Leo (2 hp) was turned into a rat buffet after one ripped his throat out (dmg 3) and he was swarmed.

After casting Detect Evil and reinforcing why the goblins marked the doors to the eastern crypt, this holy(-ish) host descended to the 3rd level, cursing the wizard for not learning at least Magic Missle which could have saved Leo.

On the third level after mild exploration, they realized they were caught between a goblin party in a closed room and giant fire beetles milling about a treasure chest. A quick plan was formed: Hold Portal the door to the goblin room closed, oil and set fire to the giant beetles, and load the chest onto a Floating Disc-- then be gone!

Turns out Follower Lunell had useful spells after all and did not for one second let them forget it on the way home. Oblate Samuel's sobs did not let them forget the dead Leo.

The contents of the chest however netted them an ironic 666 XP each.

SESSION FOUR

(Note: I finally started to implement my procedures in this session described here)

Our clerics decided to start off with a visit first to the Abbot who once again implored them to devel the crypt for bones to complete the ossuary. The prior, who believes them filled with avarice and tells them so, implores them to leave the crypts behind, but go to the marshes in search of the lost caravan.

Our clerics think the Prior is trying to get them killed.

Siding with the Abbot they return to Dyson's Tower with only Follower Lunell this time. Brother Samuel was still shellshocked from the loss of Leo (Note: PCs rolled over the NPC's moral according to the PC CHA). Back to the same cave where poor Oblate Leo was turned into rat vittles. This time they head straight for the eastern passages and doors marked by the goblins and slip inside.

They find a plain crypt. A far cry from the one for St. Ulther. But their curious investigations soon awoke the zombie inside, burst forth from the grave. Combat ensures were Brother Cadfeal & Phellius are so consumed by sending the thing back to hell with their bare hands, they forget to even attempt turn undead. This almost proves fatal as only 1 of 3 thrown vials of holy water dash against the zombie, Follower Lunell is brought to 1 hp, and even Brother Phellius is one heavy zombie punch away from death. But at the last second Brother Cadfael's mace finds purchase and the zombie's head is knocked off.

The reward for this effort is the revelation that the curious dagger sticking out of the zombie's chest was in fact a profane dagger of Orcus. The clerics resolve to destroy this foul tool at the Abbey in appeasement to AZLN. Then they find behind that behind a mysterious door is on the south wall of this room is the crypt of St. Serene the Beheaded-- their second saint!

The first order of business back at the Abbey was to destroy the dagger. The PCs approached the Prior who offered to destroy it which made the PCs think he is an agent of Orcus. That and the fact he's never liked them. Instead, they gave the dagger to the Abbot and leveled their accusations much to the shock of the Abbot--- "He's an old friend and a pious man. It cannot be true."

MUTLTI-GENERATIONAL GAMING: Running Dyson's Delve for my brother & nephew

I decided recently to approach my brother and nephew about playing a D&D game online since we all are scattered across 3 states of the US and span 30 years of time.

Two key things to appreciate about this, which is why it's so heartwarming, is that: (1) my brother is 10 years older than me. I remember walking into his room at 4 and seeing him playing D&D with his friends. I never really knew what they were doing, but I did watch the D&D cartoon with him. It would be 1989 and buying 2e AD&D for I really took a step into D&D. (2) When my nephew was growing up, I introduced him to videogames, anime, and board games, turns out what stuck was a love of "retro" videogames-- now he's interested in how D&D influenced them. And his dad never played D&D with him at all.

So to unite the generations, I decided to run a BX D&D (1981) game (using Old-School Essentials) and, since my brother said he didn't think he could do anything too complex other than like a Caves of Chaos run, Dyson's Delve (2019). I also decided to continue to lean old-school by just slowly building out the world as their interest lead- no planning way ahead or trying to set up some grand storyline.  And I even sent them dice from Roll4Initative- my brother's first set in ~35 years.

GAME SET-UP

I was going to have them roll 3d6 down-the-line and run with what they got. Initially, I pushed for them to run 2 characters, but they opted just to start with one each. As a small bit of prep, I read through Dyson's Delve and wrote a small table of motivations for adventuring.

The guys end up rolling two clerics as below:

Generated with 3d6 down-the-line

I also started them out at 2500 XP, which is enough for most classes to be level 2, but not all classes.

The guys also ended up rolling a "1" on the motivations table below:

1. PCs quest to retrieve bones of famous adventuring family ancestors & inter them in the family crypt
2. PCs owe d6 x 10,000 GP to local crime lord
3. A family member of PC afflicted by a disease only cured by well or spring water from the underground
4. The evil duplicate of one PC has kidnapped the princess and fled to the dungeon
5. The "Curse of Sait Ulther" has returned! Five fantastical monster parts are needed to complete the spell that will vanquish it
6. At the end of 10 flights of stairs, there is a dragon who grants wishes

Their goal morphing slightly into this:

The Abbot, a gentle but financially oriented man, and the Prior, a stern and pious man,  have decided to build a reliquary to encourage pilgrimage to the abbey. They decided the task of retrieving the bones of early saints from the local dungeon belongs to members of the clerical order- Bros. Phellinus and Cadfeal.

As so off they go!

SESSION ONE

The brothers skirt the goblin camp in the ruins and head for the cave entrance to the south. Br. Cadfeal used his background in animal handling to intimidate the giant ferrets, fat on killed giants rats, therein. 

From there they delved further into the cave structure and meeting Baron Zigfried, a regal ghoul looking for manners and meat. The clerics were full on the former but lean on the latter. The Baron was stingy with its information but directed them lower into the crypts. And followed.

After finding the tombs of some monks, but no saints, the clerics decided to grab what they could of the humble relics and make it back to the surface. However, the stalking Baron had to be dealt with.

The two clerics took up positions on either side of the tunnel, covering their lantern with a sack, and making loud small talk to confuse the ghoul. The ghoul was not surprised, but the clerics seized the initiative and Br. Phellius landed a critical hit- cavitating the skull! After scooping up the jewelry and magic relics, the clerics made way for home. And level 3.

SESSION TWO

Since the previous session was a hit, I decided to create an abbey proper (see fig 2). To hopefully encourage role-play, I also created the “90-10 Edict” to establish some outlines of cleric behavior and provide links with the abbey hierarchy. I also established that the abbot wants to build two things: an ossuary to saints and a reliquary to humble monks-- because they want to attract religious pilgrims for the gold.

Our two brothers set off once again, but exciting more cation brought along two hirelings lured more by the promise of gold than the clerics’ inspirational speeches (both have a CHA of 7 & 8).

This time the clerics decided to avoid a tussle with the giant ferrets in the south cave and instead build a stake and rope ladder up the west side of the ruin. With amazement in the DM’s eyes they were able to quietly slip up and over the wall and down into the first level.

Luck ran out here as both hirelings missed the two goblin guards and one escaped to find their hobgoblin bosses-- the clock was ticking. With some quick scouting, they found the tomb of St. Ulther! Praise be to AZLAN! And they also found a couple of other sealed tombs that the goblins had marked as containing undead. Not ones to take their eyes off the mission, the brothers Phellius and Cadfeal beat a hasty retreat with bones and hirelings in tow just as 3 hobgoblins reach the top of the stairs.

They drenched the stairs with oil and toss down a torch to erect a flaming barrier to guard their retreat. Up and over they make it again, but now they are caught by a goblin patrol! Gaining the initiative, Br. Phellius charges forward, mace in hand, and with AZLN in his heart. Dice are rolled, bounce, bounce...natural 20!

Eleven points of damage certainly converts the goblin to a corpse and the sight causes the others to flee. The return home is uneventful.

Next session we will see if this particular ossuary can attract pilgrims.

FIG 1: What they have explored in the first two sessions of Dyson's Tower

FIG 2: Since the game seemed to have legs, I whipped up a quick abbey & edicts for the cleric order