A Dungeon of Unfortunate Events
Summary
GM: Dean
Season: Summer 823 WK
Night: Thursday, 19th Jan start
Location: Dean's
Level: Med High Dungeon Bash
- Party
- Henric Dwarf(m), Mind - Chris
- Thaeuss Elven(m), Binder - Stephen MilSci Scribe
- Raseri Human(m), Celestial Dark - Ciaran
- Quentin Orc(m), Namer - Sean
- Merco - Halfling(m) Helper - Jono
- Lila Human(f) Celestial/Air - Kelsie PL
- Lyric Dwarf(f) E&E - Michelle
- Employer
- Lorto
- Mission
- The target of an unfortunate event is hiding out of reach in the dungeon of Castle Greyhawk, invite him out to meet his fate.
- Payment
- 10k each in cash or services
Scribe Notes
Lorto wants us to find someone who he believes is hiding in the dungeons of Castle Greyhawk. Given the magical nature of this location, Lorto is unable to hunt in the correct part of the dungeons, and believes a party of our stature will be able to look for them in the right areas. He is to be returned, dead or alive, along with a couple of artefacts likely to be in their possession. Anything else we find during the hunt is ours.
The dungeons of Castle Greyhawk are just plain weird. While there are maps of the first 25 levels, these are the more simplistic levels, and therefore unlikely to fit your competency. I should mention that while there is only one entry point, you will enter on a level appropriate to your own abilities. That is why I cannot chase down the quarry I am paying you to hunt, he is almost certainly on a level that I would never be taken to and have almost no way of getting to. I am hoping that your level will put you at least in the right zone. I should also mention that when I go in, there is often nothing dungeon-like about the terrain. Apparently the 25ish mapped levels are actual dungeons, but I think it gets weirder the deeper you delve. It is after all the master work of a deranged but apparently genius arch mage (Zargyg), plus there have been up to 9 evil demi gods imprisoned in there at one time or other, which has also likely warped things a bunch. When I go in, which is not that often to be honest, the terrain is close and confined, but can be things like thorn mazes, cavern complexes, thick jungle, underwater caverns with denizens that are very testing, even for me, including some I have quietly tiptoed around and headed for the exit. Good loot to be found at times, but a hard slog which is not my kinda work. Oh, and its different every time, I have not repeated a single room/area, so basically impossible to map. You always know where the 'exit' is, like a ranger north bump, and often a feel for where the 'boundaries' are, though sometimes instead of physical they magical or elemental in nature, so be careful when looking to test the 'edges' (absent mindedly rubs at a couple of burn scars). When you go to an exit, you can then decide to leave the dungeon, or go to the next area, which feels like it is deeper in. Not always harder, just further in. By the way, I am unable to teleport out in any way. I can use my movement abilities within an area, but cannot even go back into an area previously entered/known.
Anyway, I am sure you will have questions, so hit me with anything and I will see if I can help. Otherwise I can put you in touch with some acquaintances on Greyhawk that have delved, and survived, more than most, so might have more info if you think is needed.
The target, Lord Limon is minor nobility. Being a 4th child he explored drugs and adventure, apparently becoming quite good at both. Fighter mage (mind) with decent social skills (all of them). He is also quite skilled in herbalism and alchemy so he is known to use powders and explosive liquids in creative ways.
Lorto gives us locate level descriptive information though he highly doubts Limon would be stupid enough to still look like that. If you catch him you can easily check certain identifiers.
State of the quarry is unimportant, though identifiable would be good.
The artefacts are:
- a circlet
- a ring
- a rod
Descriptions are available but almost no info on what exactly they do. Apparently they are holy relics and considered heirlooms of the previous owner. Apparently the mark stole them and scarpered about 18 months ago. A bounty came out early on, but has more recently (last 6 months) gone up enough to draw the attention of people like Lorto. Lorto has made investigations through his channels and is fairly certain he somehow is hiding in the dungeons of Castle Greyhawk. He does not believe anyone else has come to this conclusion, yet.
Lorto has a lot of suspicions around the whole scenario.
Dungeon One: Ship Cargo Deck
A week of preparations.
- Duesday 8th Meadow 823
Lorto (known as Shadowspawn on Greyhawk - his appearance also changes; less himbo, more night blade) opens a door to the entrance to Greyhawk Dungeon, he has tokens for us that he acquired earlier.
We gather on the doorstep, opening the dungeon door, we find ourselves in the hold of a ship at sea, 2 sailors trying to hide among the cargo behind us, 4 hungry were-wolves ahead and chewed bodies. We have a sense of the exit, somewhere to starboard.
We engage the wolves (GTN Werewolf Stripling) and take them down, 2 reinforcements are also quickly taken down. We can hear a fight above with lots more. They regenerate so we ensure all downed wolves are killed.
The sailors tell us it is Captain Fang attacking. DA shows the sailors and wolves have only existed since we portalled in though they have manifested with full history, they don't have souls.
ESP & Wizard's Eye show us about 40 wolves, 20ish striplings, 10 full wolves, a couple of pack-leaders, and Fang. The wolf-pirate ship is to starboard, grapples, planks, swinging ropes, etc.
The remains of the crew of this ship are holed up in the captain's cabin fighting a losing battle.
Dungeon One: Captain Fang
We throw indirect spells via Wizard's Eye and Telepathy at the leaders, they deflect them onto their minions and bounce them back at us via moon beams. We disrupt their attack on the survivors of this ship by disintegrating the floor from under them. Minions sent down the stairs hit the frictionless floor, get feared by blackfire, damaged by thunder, lightning, Raseri & Quentin.
Captain Fang and his best people teleport down to attack us. Raseri hits them with a grenado, crippling some of them and himself, then gets hit by a Lycanthropy curse. He knocks himself out with Mental Attack before he finishes turning and potentially attacks the party.
The command wolves have the ability to transfer some damage to their minions. Some of them are adepts, Celestial - Lunar. Moonfire (equivalent to Blackfire); Moonlight Dance (Group Teleport); Curse of Lycanthropy; Wall of Moonlight; Command Moon (Full moon effect over an area).
Several seconds of brutal damage is dealt by both front lines. The minions at the bottom of the stairs are all killed (Blackfire, Thunder, Lightning).
Amira calls for their surrender, we're a little surprised when Captain Fang lustfully yields to her command.
Looking around further, we see a small maelstrom on the far side of the Wolf ship that is the exit.
Dungeon Two: Pitch Black Horrors
- We strip Fang and minions of magical things of use to us.
- Gratuity from the Merchant Captain.
After 10 minutes we notice the calm effect is degrading and we have 10 minutes or less before it is gone, we figure we should be gone before then.
- Henric to Lila: Do you have a preferred male physical type.
- Lila: No, I like them all.
- Henric: Me too.
We jump overboard, exiting through the maelstrom which gently takes us to the bottom of the sea where we portal to...
A small cavern with lots of exits, fetid odour, an urchin - female, human, and young - is concerned we are out near sunset and urges us into hiding before 'they' come out at night.
Debris on the ground, formerly living, Greater Cave Shrike, Lesser Shrike, various rodents, etc.
The urchin is human, long-lived sentient, magical ability of survival, called Newt. She has existed for about 30 years.
She leads us through several twists and turns into a smaller cave concealed behind a wall of moss. She offers us some dried mushrooms, nightcap, effect: quieten the mind, conceals from Telepathy.
- Preserved sample of fresh Nightcap with viable spores.
Things in here have existed for decades, she has existed about 3 decades but is still an immature human (10).
The swarm that stirs with dusk screams, exudes a pressure on our minds, reading their minds is a hazard to Telepaths.
18 hours of Major Curse Removal on Raseri while others rest and watch.
The swarm returns before dawn.
- W'nsday 9th Meadow 823
About midday local time we head out into the caverns towards the old mining town.
Organic layers over most of the walls, some fresh. Bodies in the town are generally smashed, not just cleanly killed. All died about 20 years ago.
Beyond town, up switchback stairs towards both the mine exit and dungeon exit, about 200' up, gale force deathly-corrosive dust storm outside, 10' Air protection/calm like effect around ruins of the doors.
We return to Newt's shelter, Wizard's Eye spying on the swarm as they emerge and looking outside. Outside the storm is gone, calm, clear, moonlit night. The swarm is comprised of dozens to hundreds of 9' tall many-limbed spikey horrors that swarm across the ground about 3 times as fast as a human, some slime creatures that move with them and leave coatings on the floor and walls.
Once they're gone, we head down towards where they came from (one of the exits), a few hundred feet beyond where we first arrived. There is a 'picket line' of animal-like things in slime balls. A large (covering a big area) mind - hive? A sharp protective, intelligent mind - Queen? The exit is somewhere beyond all that, looks messy, the outside exit seems the better option.
We head back to the bunker, set watches and get some sleep.
- Th'rsday 10th Meadow 823
Last scout through town for interesting plants, fungi, belongings.
We spend 6 hours setting traps and walls between the town and the exit.
Outside there is acid rain.
At dusk, the rain stops, we fly out, heading towards the exit.
Things crawl out of holes in the ground, hunting other things that crawl out, we fly on.
We pass other mining settlements with similar bunker doors, some broken open, some still intact.
About 40 miles to another hillside with closed intact doors, the exit is beyond them somewhere.
Dungeon Two: Undead Hosts
Landing at the doors, lit lantern on hook, doorbell chain, volume of controlled air around door.
We ring the bell, talk the guards into letting us in, down the switchback stairs very similar to the original mining town - without the destruction and layers of hardened slime.
They lead us down to the town and into an empty house for us to spend the night
Merco casts Telepathy with enormous (1,890') range:
- A dozen Animal level minds hiding somewhere below us.
- A few 700' away a couple of sentient minds, planning and waiting.
- Outside to the right of the mine entrance a couple of minds communicating and coordinating with each other.
- Another mind further away, towards the exit, thinking, yummy, another 'trade delegation'.
Merco is sure they are waiting for us to go to sleep before attacking.
We start preparing for combat, they respond to us preparing, the durability on the floor is turned off and the 4 standing on it fall through to the 20 waiting Ghasts and their Greater Undead (Greater Ghast) despair inducing commander. We kill all of the Ghasts, the commander teleports away, the others that were charging towards us now change to move rapidly down the mine, closing the doors.
We heal up, fully prepare with short duration magics then follow.
Mine doors are warded with Necrosis and have magic on, counter the ward, disintegrate the wall next to the doors to drop them.
Following, we come to a mine shaft with a winched platform that is down, we sense something insubstantial within the wall. Preparing I disintegrate sections of the shaft until it is revealed, the rest of the party blast it, the Spectre throws a stream of corruption at us then flees, the Phantasms chase it down and kill it.
- Merco gets a Death Curse (32 MA) - Spectre Killer - makes him more vulnerable to them.
Down the shaft and further on, a projected image is waiting for us, he is a Greater Undead, Wraith Lord. He apologises for underestimating us and would prefer to negotiate. We seek adequate recompense to accept their suit for peace. He tells us that someone matching the description of Lord Limon, came through here about 3 months ago. And offers the following which we accept.
- Hand & a Half - Flamebrand
- Shortsword -
- Amulet -
- Brooch -
- Ring -
- Brotherhood Priest Sphere of Mind Speech
- Hide from ESP
We pass through magical silver doors into a crypt and climb into a sarcophagus which is the exit.
We are spoken to in transit, we are required to face a test of combat to advance.
We manifest on small platforms in a lake without any of our equipment, there are other platforms that have weapons and armour.
Interlude: Murder Games
We charge for the equipment, trying to inconvenience and block others with TK Rage, Walls, etc.
The Humans and Drow congregate in species groups, Giant is forced back to land where it summons a special kind of Earth Elemental to return with. We take out the Orcs. Gnomes ally with Henric, make walls and spider mechanical creatures. Ogres hit us with some spells then get engaged by the humans, we help against the Ogres, the Giant joins that melee, the Ogres go down.
We gain significant advantage by controlling the Stuff platform: healing, investeds, jewellery, and anything else that's not a weapon or armour.
The Orc and Ogre platforms become exits, we use one to go deeper into the dungeons.
6
- Frysday 11th Meadow 823
- Reapsday 12th Meadow 823
- Sunday 13th Meadow 823
- Moonday 14th Meadow 823
- Duesday 15th Meadow 823
- W'nsday 16th Meadow 823
- Th'rsday 17th Meadow 823
Loot
Buffs & Mil Sci
Long Term (assumed always on)
Magic (caster) | Rk | Effects | Duration | He | Th | Rs | Qu | Me | Li | Ly |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greater Ench. (Ly) | 20 | +21% to Res, Mag, Com, or S&S. | 6 days | - | - | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Witchsight (Rs) | 6 | See Invis | 3.5 hrs | Y | - | Y | - | Y | Y | Y |
Witchsight (Li) | 7 | See Invis | 4 hrs | Y | - | Y | - | Y | Y | Y |
Shadowform (Li) | 15 | +32% Def but 16% in close | 8 hrs | Y | - | - | - | Y | Y | Y |
Str of Stone (He) | 12 | +12 EN | 13 hrs | Y | 14 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Fire Armour (Li) | 10 | 44 Ablative Protection from Magical Fire Damage | 11 hrs | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Fire Proof (Li) | 10 | Protection from Non-magical Fire Damage | 11 hrs | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Modify Aura (Th) | 10 | +/- 4 Levels: SLS=>Plant, LLS=>Animal, Golem=>NoAura | 11 hrs | |||||||
Linking Lifeforce Sketch (Th) | 20 | Reflect health within 2,100 miles. 20 dmg. 1 day each to make. | Perm | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Linked R&S Golems (Th) | 15 | May hold your spirit on death | Season | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Self Only | ||||||||||
Mind Shield (rk) | v | +10+2/rk% vs M.Att. | 1+2/rk hrs | 16 | 9 | 15 | 10 | |||
Herbal Lore (rk) | +10+2/rk% to Find Herbs | 1+rk hrs | 10 | |||||||
Armour Spells | v | % Def, AP | 24,5 | 26,5 | 24,5 | |||||
Wizardsight (Me) | 6 | See Invis | n/a | - | - | - | - | Y | - | - |
Senses and other stuff | ||||||||||
Sense Danger (%) | Mind Talent (or equivalent) | 62 % | 48 %* | 44 %* | 58 % | |||||
Detect Ambush (%) | Ranger (-5/rank of opposition) | 50+ % | 124 % | 44 %* | 78 % | |||||
See Invis (Rk) | Effective rank for seeing invisible | 7 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 7+ | 6 | ||
Detect Spell Prep. (%) | 20 | If a target or in target area of a spell being prepared | 101 % | |||||||
Stealth (%) | 96 % | 156 % | 129 % | 131 % | 121 % | 125 % | 109 % |
* Thaeuss' Danger Sense from Ladybird brooch, 7 hr downtime and re-cast to recharge after use.
* Raseri's 'Danger Sense/Detect Ambush' is a constant situational awareness from cloak detecting Ambush/Surprise/Traps. Not modified by opposing ranks.
Enhance Enchantment (Ly) rank 11: 60 seconds
- Raseri Battle Axe of Awe
- +5% +1 Dmg for any allies who speak Elven (any rank)
- Quentin's Allies
- +1 Damage, +4% SC, +1 Damage Reduction, +4% Defence, +8% vs Fear & to Reaction Rolls
- Mil Sci Raise Morale
- Rk 6: +3 WP
- Herbalist Meal/Broth
- Rk 6: recover 4 FT from Meal or Broth.
Short Term
Magic (caster) | Rk | Effects | Duration | He | Th | Rs | Qu | Me | Li | Ly |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enchant Weapon (Ly) | 16? | +17 BC%, +6 Dam. | 22 min | |||||||
Weapon of Flames (Li+) | 10 | +11 SC, +6 Dam, +11 dam vs undead, cold, water | 22 min | |||||||
Strength of Darkness (Rs) | 14 | +8 PS | 150 min | - | Y | |||||
Quickness (Ly) | 10 | +20 En IV, +D10 Un IV, +2 TMR, Double movement rate | 15 min |
Watch Order
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quentin | Raseri | Lila | Quentin | ||||||||
Thaeuss | Henric | Lyric | Merco & Guard IV |
Marching Order
Skirmish Formations (Front) | ||
---|---|---|
Default
Henric Quentin |
Double File
Henric Quentin |
Single File
Henric |
Astrology
Henric | Thaeuss | Raseri | Quentin | Merco | Lila | Lyric |
17 | 94 | 56 | 05 | 39 | 98 | 78 |
Henric | Thaeuss | Raseri | Quentin | Merco | Lila | Lyric |
Wary | Panic | Catatonic | Panic | Panic | Panic | Panic |
Calendar
Summer: Meadow 823 WK | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||
Beltane Full Moon | 1 | Guild Meeting | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | White Lotus | 6 | ||||||
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||||||||
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | ||||||||
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | ||||||||
28 | Full Moon | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||
Summer: Heat 823 WK | ||||||||||||||
Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | ||||||||
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | ||||||||
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | ||||||||
26 | Full Moon | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
Summer: Breeze 823 WK | ||||||||||||||
Moonday | Duesday | W'ansday | Th'rsday | Frysday | Reapsday | Sunday | ||||||||
3 | Day of Death | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||||||
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||||||||
17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ||||||||
24 | Full Moon | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |